Everybody's Peace!
by EtherealWave
Summary: Immortality is starting to take its toll on Viral's mind and spirit. Can Anne, daughter of Dayakka and Kiyoh, bring him some semblance of peace? And will his peace be hers as well, or will it send her into her own despair?
1. New Beginnings

_I said I wasn't going to, but I couldn't sleep last night, so here it begins. yawns, stretching a little Usual disclaimer stuff. I do not own Viral, the series, and really don't even own adorable little Anne, who isn't so little anymore. All credit where credit is due._

_jabs at the air with her pointer finger Now, on with the show!!_

* * *

He sat in his room, bored as usual. There was the usual strain of irritation that ran through the back of his mind, but he'd long since gotten used to that. He'd faithfully served Earth as a representative in the Spiral Peace Tribunal for a few years after the first conference. However, there were whispers; rumors spread. Viral had the great misfortune of learning that human gossip could be a disheartening thing.

Needless to say, he'd relinquished his role as representative for someone who could...how had they phrased it? Ah, someone who could truly understand the position of humans on Earth. After all, he was only a Beastman.

"Only," he snorted, looking at his claws and resisting the urge to dig them into the couch he sat on simply out of spite. Instead, he stood up, went to the large glass window, and stared out.

They were on some planet known as Kritolin. To the best of everyone's knowledge, the small planet was about as close to a central meeting place as the Spiral being would ever find. It had taken quite a bit of adjusting to the massive influx of beings that populated it every three years, but the economy flourished from the money foreigners brought.

The view outside their room was nice enough, he supposed. There was a dark green sea, with beach on one side and a cliff holding a thick forest on the other. What he wouldn't give to be out in that wilderness for just a few hours. Viral slipped a clawed finger into the collar of his shirt, greatly lamenting that the simple action was as close to freedom as he would get for the next week. Perhaps he could talk Anne into releasing him from his duties for just one day...

No longer a representative, yet too important to the Tribunal to completely alienate, he'd been granted the title of Chancellor of Records. In short, he oversaw all the paper-pushing that was done. A smirk came unbidden to his mouth at the irony of it all. He, a warrior, was now the one who made sure that all the information was up to date and recorder. At least they hadn't made him a recorder. Then he'd have to kill someone. Still, he could understand the logic in the decision, even if he didn't agree with it. His immortality made him the perfect person to ensure that the future generations would have the proper history to build upon. Noble enough, he supposed.

Thankfully, he wasn't required to stay on this wretched planet. He hated to admit it, but he missed Earth during his time at tribunal. From the large cities he once hated to the wildlife reserves to the deep wells of underground civilizations. Part of him had grown particularly fond of it all. It was about as much attachment as he dared to garnish anything. At least the planet wasn't going to leave him anytime soon.

Watching Simon grow old was a shock to his psyche. Yes, he'd known he was immortal; he'd understood what it meant in a tangible sense. But, by Spiral, the fact that there would be no future adventures with the man he'd grown to respect...

"Damn you, Lordgenome..."

"I'm home!"

_Thank Spiral_, he thought. He hated getting sentimental. Hanging around these humans so much was producing some destructive habits.

* * *

Anne Rittona, representative of Earth, quickly took off her jacket and tossed it aside. She'd worry about picking it up later. Right now, she was hungry and starving to do something other than sit in a room and listen to people talk all day. Sure, she had to be attentive, but her primary role was to act as a go-between should Earth be required to do anything for the Spiral Peace Tribunal. The organization's primary role was to prevent Spiral Nemesis, so most of the jibber-jabber consisted of science and physics terms that she would probably never understand. However, her electronic equipment recorded everything that was said and who said it, so Leeron and his lab could have as much fun with it as they wanted when she returned.

Her eyes picked up on the slight movement in her peripheral vision as Viral came out of his room. She flashed him a bright smile, and was more than content with the soft nod he gave her. She and her brother and sister had spent about as much time on the Chouginga Dai-Gurren as they did on Earth. Dayakka found it hard to return to any sort of government or civilian life, and Kiyoh could hardly deny that she felt a certain pull back into a life of adventure herself. Anne, Kittan (named after his deceased uncle), and Kinian had all learned to pilot the Grapearl at a fairly young age, and Anne still loved going for joy rides whenever she could. She'd spent more time outside of the ship than she had in it during the trip here.

But now that she was at the Tribunal headquarters, she was strongly discouraged from straying too far, in case something should happen which needed her attention. Unfortunately, some smaller Anti-Spiral sects were starting to emerge, and one could never know who was a dummy awaiting a chance to seek some sort of vengeance. Particularly since the members who formed the Tribunal were among the most powerful users of Spiral Energy in their respective worlds. Anne would have much rather had average energy; then she could have been part of the Grapearl force rather than stuck in this stuffy room all damned day.

Still, the company was nice. As she let loose her long blond hair, her blue eyes darted in Viral's direction as she went into the kitchen to start working on dinner. Most humans still looked at the Beastmen with a certain amount of disdain. The sad truth of the matter is that, in most senses of the word, they were "less than." They couldn't reproduce, they had no Spiral Energy, and most were rather disagreeable to look at. The younger generations did not have many of the prejudices that the Undergrounders did, but it was hard to consider the truths while not holding it against them.

Anne, on the other hand, had yet to meet a Beastman she didn't get along with, and Viral was no exception. She'd grown up watching him command the Chouginga Dai-Gurren, heard of his battles with Kamina and Simon, of his defense of the Undergrounders that wanted to keep their way of life, and all knew that he was the unofficial successor of Simon. He was an idol, of sorts. A soft blush hit her cheeks as she started cutting up the meat, hearing him get out the various pots and skillets for her to use.

This was their second trip to the Tribunal together, and there was a sense of comfortableness between the two. She wouldn't call it friendship, but she knew which buttons to push and how to avoid major disagreements. He seemed to read her rather well also, and it made the trip a little more bearable. She knew that he hated being as cooped up as she. He'd probably spent most of the day staring out the window, poor thing.

"I can make a stew or stir-fry. Which do you want?" she asked him

He shrugged as he walked by, picking up a knife and starting to cut up the few vegetables that sat on the counter. She sparred a glance over at the way he was cutting, and knew that he wanted stir-fry. Finishing up with the last piece of meat, she went to the sink to wash her hands off and fetched the sauce from the fridge. Some oil went in the heated skillet, followed by the hiss of the meat as it hit the hot metal. Anne picked up a spoon and poked at the meat absently as it started to cook, the silence starting to bug her. He'd usually have said at least something by now.

"I want to go out," she said.

"You know you can't."

"But it's so damned boring in here. I've seen every mall and every store in this complex. I already saw the one new play they put on a year...It's going to kill me to stay in here for another week."

"And how do you think I feel?" A soft snarl crept into the words, the knife cutting a little harder now.

"The same way. So let's get out of here."

"And how the hell do you suggest we do that?"

She shrugged, flipping the meat so it could finish cooking on the other side, grabbing some seasoning and adding it to the meat. There had to be a way to get out of here somehow...

"Fine. If you can find a way to get out unnoticed, I'll get us both out of here for at least a day. When are your free days this week?"

"One's coming up the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow's the last of the new information on the Anti-Spiral resurgence."

"Then you've got one day to figure it out. Otherwise, I'll just sit in here and rot away like I've been doing."

He walked over and slid the vegetables into the skillet as she moved out of the way and went to grab the rice. Viral tossed the food a little before setting it back down. Anne bumped him with her hip as she came back next to him, setting the rice cooker on the counter.

"You know, there are hunting areas in here," she reminded him.

"There are flight simulators in here," he retorted.

She snorted, knowing good damn well that he understood the vital differences between simulators and reality.

* * *

He couldn't help but chuckle. It sounded so much like the noise he'd made earlier. He snuck a glance at her through his unkempt hair, wondering at how she'd grown. Seven years ago, when he found out that she would be the new representative, he'd been appalled. Anne Rittona? The little brat that he'd had to put up with for almost eighteen years? She'd always been in the holding bay for the Ganmen, asking about this one and that one, interrupting his preferred place of solitude. She'd been such a curiously aggravating child. But that annoyance changed into a certain admiration as he watched her grow. More than once, he'd been unable to refuse her pleadings to take her on some mission or another in the Grapearl. Once there, she'd been a still warmth on his lap, so in awe that it made her silent. He supposed she hadn't been such a brat, really...

The truth of the matter is, now that he could be honest with what emotions he did have, she'd reminded him far too much of the fictional child he'd had in the alternate universe the Anti-Spiral had sent him to. Now and again, he'd had dreams (or nightmares, depending on how he awoke) of that family he'd longed to have. During those stolen moments in the holding bay, in the cockpit of a Grapearl, he'd allowed himself to imagine...if only on a fleeting level of consciousness...that she was his child.

He'd rather it have been her than anyone else. He could think of a few humans he'd rather shred than assist during these weeks away from Earth. She made the hushed whispers and covert stares in the hallway a little more bearable. Once again, he could indulge in a little fantasizing. Still, it was hard to imagine Anne as his child now that she was almost thirty. She looked more his peer than his offspring.

"Ouch! Damned cooker..."

She shoved her finger in her mouth and glared at him to tell him he'd better not laugh. Viral, despite his own resistance, reached out, gently taking hold of her wrist and pulling the finger from her lips, glancing at it to make sure that it didn't need a less instinctive remedy. The tip of it was a little pink, but that was about it. At most, she might get a slight blister.

"You didn't burn it that badly, Anne. There's no reason to make such a fuss."

"I did no such thing!"

He simply smirked as she put the lid on the cooker and left him in the kitchen. She'd quite obviously retained that certain juvenility that seemed to follow all true members of the Dai Gurren Brigade. She was truly the child of her parents...

"And not mine," he muttered softly to himself.

He couldn't bear to look at his inhuman hand as it reached for the sauce and dumped it unceremoniously into the skillet.

* * *

Anne hoped he didn't notice. She plopped down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest, turning on the television to drown out the noise of her thudding heart.

Holding her forearm before her, she let her eyes fall on her wrist. In all the time they'd spent together since she'd become the Earth representative, he'd never really touched her. And for some Spiral-maddening reason, that simple act of his long fingers on her wrist had sent her heart into the worst of rhythms.

"What the hell is wrong with me? Am I still not over that little crush? I'm far too old for this stuff..."

She prayed she wasn't blushing too deeply. Still, the lingering sensation of his skin against hers made it hard for her to forget it. The dim of the television wasn't enough to drown out the thoughts slipping into her head. Perhaps she was too old for a little crush. Perhaps she was dealing with something different...

Her canine tooth dug into her lip as she struggled to find another answer to the question now plaguing her. If she didn't...well, the next week was going to become horribly awkward. The living room that separated their rooms would not be a big enough gap. And she would have to mention getting away with him, didn't she? Now she was bound to those words for his sake as much as her own.

When Viral came out with her plate, she'd calmed down considerably. Her time with him as a child had thought her to deal with physical manifestations of her inner thoughts and emotions. So when her fingers brushed his to receive the plate and take the chopsticks from his hand, only she knew how her heart fluttered at the touch.

Heaven help her if he found out. She'd seen him reject interested females, Beastwomen and Spiral beings alike. Anne had a suspicion about the reason, but the threat of rejection didn't do much to calm down her racing emotions.

So, when she quickly ate, put her plate in the kitchen and gave him an icy goodnight, she told herself she would rather deal with the puzzled look on his face than the coldness she was sure to face should the budding feeling in her heart ever fully bloom.


	2. Trying to Escape

This time of day was his favorite. It was about the only time he had any semblance of freedom in this place. He was used to waking up early, getting outside of whatever walls held him, and getting back to nature. He was, after all, a beast. Even if he was a little more in touch with the human in him.

Viral's ears twitched softly, noting the various mechs that flew around the complex, monitoring the inhabitants and "protecting" them from any threats. He, like everyone else, knew that the real reason the mechs were there was to keep the various dignitaries and representatives in, not keeping others out.

"These jerks are worse than Lordgenome..." he muttered, lying back on the roof with his long arms crossed behind his head, acting as a pillow. "At least he had a valid reason for what he was doing."

Thankfully, he was left alone for the time being. The roof was only the one that extended out to the extensive patio that allowed them what little fresh air they were allowed. Once the suns rose high enough, he'd be forced back inside by the heat as much as the officers that would insist he return to his room for his own safety.

"Someday they'll learn they can't protect people from themselves. Especially Spiral beings. They seem to have a tendency to get into trouble in order to get out of it."

He felt the gentle vibrations from below him and knew that Anne was awake. Viral wondered if she'd say anything to him this morning. Her behavior had been a little...odd. That was the only way he could characterize it. Anne wasn't Anne...at least not the one he knew. But he did only spend these couple of weeks with her. Prior to his demotion and her promotion, he hadn't seen her for four years while she was away at one school or another. Still, he thought he'd known her well enough. After all, he'd spent almost eighteen years watching her grow...

He hoped whatever was causing the change wasn't anything he needed to worry about. He hoped his worrying about worrying over her wasn't anything that he'd make a habit of doing on a regular basis.

Viral let out a soft huff, watching his breath form in the air before being carried away with the gentle morning breeze. More than anything else, he really wanted Anne to find some sort of way to sneak out. This place left him with little else to do but think, and he'd learned a while ago that thinking lead to things like memories and emotions. He still left Earth in an attempt to get away from all that. He didn't want them to catch up with him now.

* * *

Anne pushed back a curl away from her face, leaving her clear blue eyes to stare back at her in the mirror. She wanted to leave as much as she wanted to stay. This silly crush was going to be the death of her. At least in a social and emotional level. The sad truth of the matter is that there were fundamental differences between the Beastmen and Spirals. A relationship between the two species had certain implications, such as the impossibility of having children. Quite a few couples saw that as no problem, preferring to make a family of two with a random pet or two or adopting any number of orphans that still wandered the wastes in order to have a happy home. But she'd heard the hushed whispers as people watched the inter-species couples walk by. She wasn't so shallow as to say that she cared about what other people thought more than her own happiness, but she also wasn't so prideful that she couldn't admit it wouldn't bother her.

These thoughts weren't going to get her anywhere. She flicked off a dust bunny from the corner of her jacket and slipped out of her room. The maid had left the tea tray along with the various scones and breakfast sandwiches on the table out on the patio. Viral was, more than likely, on the roof. There was a chance he would still be sleeping, but she doubted it. It seemed like no matter what she did, it'd end up with her having to confront him, and she just didn't feel like...

At that moment, Anne saw him leap down from the roof. That was the best and worst thing about him. She couldn't hide anything from those damned ears...

A smile crossed her lips as she recalled a moment when she'd managed to tug on those impossibly sensitive parts of his body. He'd been hunched over, polishing the last bit of some Ganmen when she'd slipped up behind him. Before he had a chance to turn around, she'd pounced on his back and with one hand around his neck, reached up, and stroked the ears that she'd always thought were too damned cute. He'd immediately frozen, the moment lasting maybe a second or two before he reached behind him, all but ripped her off his back, and glared at her. Who knew what would've happened if Kiyoh hadn't slipped in, wondering were Anne was when it was way past her bedtime.

She wondered what he'd do now if she managed to get her hands on those ears again...

"You'll be late if you don't get something to eat soon," he said, helping himself to some of the sandwiches, making his way back inside for juice.

Anne came out of her reverie, opening a napkin and placing a few scones in here, slathering them with jam and the creamy honey-laced butter they made on this planet. Viral came back with her thermos, setting it on the counter so she could fill it up and take it to the day's meeting.

"Call if you find out anything, mkay. This place is going to drive me insane if I don't get out of here soon..."

"I know, I know," she smiled, twisting the lid on her thermos. "I'll see what I can do for you, Viral."

He spared her a soft smile, enough to see a glimpse of his teeth, but not enough to get the full force of the ferocity they held. It was enough to warm her heart and make her realize she needed to leave.

"Keep your communicator on. I'll ping you whenever I find out something."

Without waiting for his farewell, Anne slipped out of the apartment and made her way to the elevator, trying to shift her mind to what limited business it was capable of conducting today.

* * *

The hot water felt entirely too good as it struck his back. He leaned against the wall, one hand bracing himself against the wall as the other hung lifelessly at his side, mimicking the way he felt inside.

Viral, despite his better judgment, had gone to one of the hunting grounds inside the complex. It'd been a worthwhile romp for the first fifteen minutes or so. But after going around the same patch of territory and hunting the same two or three species...none of which provided any serious challenge to his bestial nature....well, he'd had enough.

After tossing the dead carcasses to the game warden, telling the man that he could do whatever he damned well pleased with them, Viral stormed off to the showers to wash himself of the little blood that he'd accumulated. Hell, he hadn't even worked up a decent sweat. Most of the blood was his own since the beasts he'd found he'd been able to take down with a snap of the neck or a swift sword thrust to the heart.

The beep of some other person's communicator brought him out of his minute pity party. It wasn't his...Anne had programmed some silly twinkling noise as the tone that sounded when she called. It hadn't occurred to him how much he was waiting for that call. A soft sigh escaped his oversized mouth as he hung his head even lower.

"That you, Viral? I never see ya around now that Anne is the official representative..."

He lifted his head, recognizing the voice. Water dripped from his yellow hair as his feline eyes drifted up the torso to meet the eyes of the man talking to him.

"Gimi," he said, acknowledging the boy. Well, he was a man, now, but he'd always remember him as that little teenager that piloted the Grapearl.

"Where've you been hiding out at?" Gimi asked as he tightened the towel around his waist, opening the locker where his clothes were stashed.

Viral shrugged, turning away for a moment to turn the water off, snapping his head back to fling most of the excess water out of it.

"Like it much matters. My presence hasn't been particularly welcome during the past few conferences. People should be content to just have me out of the way."

"Sorry for worrying about you," Gimi snorted softly, a hint of teasing among the sarcasm.

"And why should you worry about me? I'm...fine."

He hadn't meant to pause, but even he could feel the lie in that statement. A quick glance at Gimi told Viral that the younger man had as well. Going into one of the changing stalls, Gimi snatched the towel off from around his waist and ran it over his rust red hair a few times before throwing his clothes on.

"If you think you're the only one bored out of his mind on this blasted planet, you're sorely mistaken, Viral. Whenever you need to talk..."

The soft sound of the locker closing, footsteps heading away, the door to the facilities opening then shutting. Viral still remained in the position he'd settled in when he'd told that lie. He wanted to believe he was fine...

He did. Perhaps the truth of the matter is that he missed...sorely missed...being truly useful to somebody. Being needed. Lordgenome had given him immortality so that he could tell the story of humanity's demise. But the fall never occurred. The two people he'd ever considered his rivals were either dead or heading in that direction, and most of the anti-Spiral skirmishes were over and done with before the Choginga Dai-Gurren could even leave Earth's orbit.

"What the hell am I here for?" he muttered, finally moving to get dressed.

It was only after voicing that thought that he realized that this feeling of utter uselessness was the reason he'd been so restless as of late. He'd been doing anything and everything to try and feel up the void that was his life...

Somehow, he restrained himself from ripping the door off the locker. He settled for a well-placed punch instead.

* * *

This part of the conference was the only one that Anne had ever bothered to pay attention to because it was the only part she understood. Defense. Maybe it was also because it was the only one she chose to actually speak on behalf of Earth. All of the other information that needed to be conveyed to the Spiral Peace Tribunal she brought on recordings that were played for all who were gathered. Defense, mechs, strategies....that was all she really knew or cared to understand.

"_See, I'm just like you, Mommy!"_

_Anne giggled as she climbed into the seat of the replica Ganmen. Her parents watched her from where they stood, Kittan a babe in his mother's arms and Kinian looking up in awe at her older sister. _

_It was the perfect birthday present, coming onto the space station. Her parents had suggested a birthday party or a trip to somewhere on the surface, but there was nowhere she'd rather celebrate turning eleven. As soon as she sat down, she felt the machine respond to her. It was a comforting feeling, almost like curling up in a warm bed on a cold night. _

"_I see you brought the offspring again..."_

_She stuck her head outside of the cockpit, looking for the source of the voice she loved to hear. _

"_You know how much she loves the mechs, Viral, and it is her birthday..."_

"_Viral-sama!"_

_Anne's squeal reached his sensitive ears and a grimace ran over his face. He stuck a finger in his ear for a moment, glancing up at her. She crossed her arms and leaned over, looking down at him, a bright smile across her lips._

"_Birthday, huh?"_

"_Yep," she said. "I'm eleven years old today. Did you get me something?"_

_A look of pure shock crossed his face as he managed to look a little awkward. She didn't mean to, but she started pouting. Aside from coming to the station, all she'd really wanted was a gift from Viral. Before she knew it, she felt tears start welling up in her eyes. A clawed finger appeared before her, dabbing softly at the wetness in her eyes._

"_I didn't get you anything, but how about I take you for a ride in this thing?"_

"_It can really fly?" she asked, never bothering to really ponder if it was a functional replica._

"_Course it can. I might even let you do a bit of the driving if you promise not to pull on my ears again."_

_She flung her arms around his neck and she remembered waving to her parents as Dayakka consoled Kiyoh into letting the Beastman whisk her away._

_After that, there was very little she remembered about the actual flight. Most of her attention had been on the warmth and closeness of him. There had been a moment, when they were high enough to simply orbit the Earth, she'd snuggled close to him and felt his hand on her hair, gently. _

"_I love you, Viral-sama."_

That line from her younger self jarred her out of her memories, bringing her back to reality with a deeper red on her cheeks than earlier. Had she really said that to him? Better yet, did he remember it?

"Ms. Rittona? How are defenses on your end of the galaxy?"

As she stood before the rest of the tribunal, she sent up a silent prayer of thanks for the much needed distraction.

"At the moment, Earth is focusing more on expanding our settlements than the express need to build up our defenses. The planet has been suffering from overcrowding for the past decade or so, which has prompted a switch in spending from defense to re-colonization. However, we have also not suffered any attention from anti-Spirals since the victory that was won almost three decades ago."

A screen popped up in the middle of the table, displaying a rough sketch of what looked to be a Ganmen.

"Leeron and his crew are in the process of designing a mech that can be powered through Spiral energy or fuel. We've recognized the need to include all species, regardless of origin, in the need to protect our planet, and we've decided that those plans would be best served by creating a non-discriminatory Ganmen, something much more akin to those that were found and harnessed when we first began our struggle to reclaim our future on Earth."

The image changed to that of the cockpit, a close-up of a place where a drill key could be inserted.

"As you see here, there is a slot that can be used for the traditional Spiral drill key, which will activate the Ganmen through Spiral energy. However, should another species want to use it, a similarly shaped key will also turn the machine on, although it will have to use an alternate energy source."

"So," the head of the tribunal said, "what energy sources have been considered for fueling these creatures?"

"We're in the process of experimenting with what would be the most cost and energy efficient. Most of the research powers are exploring everything from solar, DNA-based, plasma and carbon-based energy, including any mixture thereof. Leeron would be more than happy to collaborate with any other scientists that are interested in aiding with his research.

"Also, because of this shift, Earth is in the process of establishing more training schools for the military so that we can extend our program to other species and even other planets. As you can see, most of our focus is on preparation for building up our military. We spent most of our early years exploring the local area around our galaxy, so we're focusing on matters at home at the moment."

"Thank you for your report, Ms. Rittona."

She bowed slightly to the tribunal head before taking her seat once more. It wasn't long before she drifted back into her memories, taking the moment to explore her feelings in the safety that was _not_ his presence.

* * *

Viral sat before the large desk that was in his office, glancing over the various stacks of papers that he needed to check. Well, he didn't need to check; his flunkies were going to do that burdensome task. He would put in his two or three hours that he usually did, then head back to his and Anne's room to sulk. The reason he only spent two or three hours in there was that the third day after he was given the illustrious position, his workers told him that they would strike if he didn't leave after getting things started.

He leaned over the first stack of papers, the first one before him documenting various sightings and information about the new strain of anti-Spiral sects. As Chancellor of Records, Viral was allowed to read whatever crossed his desk, and now and again he'd find something intriguing here and there. He made notes of planets he hoped to visit, weapons he needed to get his hands on, and how close the anti-Spirals were coming towards Earth.

His eyes fell upon the title of the first report, which happened to concern the latest resurgences. A quick glance over it let him know that the closest the beings had been seen near Earth was on the outskirts of their galaxy. At least that was one less thing he had to concern himself with.

He passed on each report, doing a preliminary check of the number of pages, making sure that the audio-image recorders were working, signing off his approval before setting them in an outgoing tray for other workers to pick up. As his eyes fell on the last report, one documenting the defense developments of all Spiral planets, Viral couldn't help but snarl a little. If Anne hadn't found some way....

As though he'd summoned it, his communicator chirruped.

"Hello?" he asked, not caring that the hope in his voice ran clear as crystal.

"Pack your bags. We're getting out of here."


	3. Freedom and Confinement

She held her shoes in one hand, her reports in the other as she rushed down the hallways, not caring who noticed her going barefoot through the compound. First of all, the clacking of her heels against the marble floors irritated her to no end. Second of all, it was easier to walk barefoot since the only time she ever wore heels was for formal events such as the Tribunals. And third...well, she just liked the way the floor felt against her feet. It cooled her aching soles and reminded her of days gone by when she would run through the various floors of the Choginga Dai-Gurren. There was a sort of comfort in it...

Her mind shifted to the matter at hand. She glanced at a clock on the wall as she passed its illuminated face. There were about forty minutes in which to prepare and execute the rather tentative and, admittedly, shaky plan that she'd concocted. Still, Anne had made a promise to Viral, and she owed him some sort of gift for putting up with both her and these dreadful meetings.

It'd been nothing but good fortune that had allowed her to come across the rather vital bit of information that would allow her and Viral to escape from the compound. As she and the other delegates had nibbled on fruits, sandwiches and other delicacies that she found lacking in both substance and flavor, she'd noticed a soiled napkin on the ground and bothered to pick it up, looking around for a place to put it. The door to the room opened, a cart with dirty dishes, tablecloths and napkins making its way out into the hallway. She'd followed it and the young Kritolin male, his tendrils caught up in a scarf about his head, as he pushed the cart.

"Umm..excuse me?"

When he'd turned his head towards hers, Anne held out the soiled napkin that she'd picked up. He smiled softly at her as he extended his hand and took it from her, tossing it into the cart. Anne had started to head back into the conference room when she noticed that the guy was rolling the cart right into the wall opposite the room. It was only then that she learned that there was a laundry chute right across the hallway.

"I hope they don't make you wash the laundry as well," she said, attempting to make some sort of conversation with the man.

"Thankfully not," he said, smiling a bit. "The real dirty works is done by employees outside of the compound. We collect the laundry, they pick it up and bring it back."

Outside the compound?

"And...how often do the shipments come in..."

"Everyday, usually. Twice a day during the weekends."

Anne had gone back to the room with an unusually bright smile on her face. The only problem is that she had no idea what time the laundry was picked up, who was down there...or anything else that she probably should have known. But she had faith that Viral would be able to figure it out. Something told her that the only way to get out would probably be through that chute.

"I've found you the way, Viral. You've just gotta make it happen..."

* * *

Viral had managed to stuff a change of clothes and what he deemed necessities into a neat bundle that he could simply carry on his back. If they found a stream or something to stay near, that would take care of bathing, water for the day... Maybe some cooking supplies? At the very least, a pot to boil water. Heaven knew that Anne probably wouldn't be able to drink anything that hadn't been purified, at least in the most basic of ways...

He'd just disappeared into the kitchen when Anne barged in the front door, jacket thrown unceremoniously on the couch as she immediately went into her room and the sound of drawers opening and shutting reached his ears.

"I'm ready whenever you are," he said, grabbing the smallest pot they had and shoving it into the bundle. The black handle stuck out, but he wasn't really going for an aesthetically pleasing look with this anyway.

"When are we leaving?"

He sat on the couch, hands clasped in front of him as he leaned forward slightly, his body almost trembling with the thought of getting out of this place. It felt like a lot longer than it actually was as he sat there waiting for Anne to answer, listening to her go through her room.

"Late tonight...early tomorrow.... At least, that sounds about right?"

"Sounds about right?"

Anne waddled out of her room with a large suitcase, apparently so heavy that she could not carry it without holding it in front of her, arms completely extended, her face turning flushed at the effort it took to hold it. Viral started to stand up when she abruptly tossed it to the side, managing to land it reasonably close to the door without hitting the wall. Still, the thud of it hitting the floor was enough to shake some of the more delicate decorations around the room. Anne came over and plopped herself next to him, chest heaving slightly as she sought to catch her breath.

"Mkay...here's the deal..."

* * *

The soft click of the door shutting behind her preceded the soft breath that left her lips as the first step of their late night escape was completed. They still had to make their way through the hallways, hoping not to run into anyone, and then slip down the chute to where the dirty laundry was tossed. Viral was dressed in form fitting dark tunic and pants, attempting to cover up his lighter coloring. Anne had done the same, clothed in long loose pants and a sleeved black cloak. The hood was pulled up over her head, but did little to hide the few curls that had escaped their confines.

Viral huffed softly, carrying Anne's denser luggage. They'd fussed a bit over the contents, but after he made her go through them, item by item, she was surprised at what she could do without. It was only a day, after all. Just a change of clothes, some basic cosmetics, toiletries...a brush for her hair, which she could slip into a simple braid at the end of the journey. There was no real telling about when they would be coming back in, so if she had to rush right into a meeting, she'd at least be somewhat presentable.

On her back were a few pieces of fruit and some leftovers that she insisted on bringing. It wasn't that she doubted Viral's hunting prowess. She just doubted whether or not there was anything edible out there. Just cuz the animals were eating it didn't meant that she could. After all, she was of a totally different makeup...

His eyes lingered on her delicate frame. He didn't mind being burdened with two bags so much at the moment. They certainly weren't heavy, and it also allowed him to delve into the fantasy of fatherhood. He'd been around the day when Anne had gone away to school and watched Dayakka haul loads of luggage into the car. True, Anne was no little girl any longer, but he'd seen the way human fathers doted on their youth. Age meant nothing to them. Few things threatened to send him into a blind rage as seeing a parent disrespect or abandon their child. These stupid humans always wanted something more while refusing to cherish what they already had.

Sounds reached his ears as he and Anne approached an intersection in the hallway. He padded quickly in front of her, blocking her path and stretching out his arm to halt her progress.

* * *

As he moved in front of her, Viral's musky scent filled her senses, and she looked up at his face, allowing herself to stare at him for the moment since he was obviously lost in his own thoughts. Maybe it was just her hormones reacting to whatever pheromones he was giving off. Why else would she go into such a girlish fit whenever he was nearby?

Before she realized what was happening, Viral pulled his arm back, catching her up in it and drawing her near as he quickly moved to the other side of the hallway, crouching down and pulling her down with him. They were pressed together, in what little shadows the nighttime hall lighting offered, and Anne finally heard the approach of footsteps. She focused her breathing, trying not to let it get too out of control as she saw the lengthened shadows of two people approach.

The guards never noticed a thing as they walked by, whispering softly to each other. Anne watched with Viral as they continued down the hall. When Anne could no longer hear them, they still waited. Her legs started to ache from the awkward position. Just as they started to get a little sore, Viral stood up, offering her his hand and they continued on their way.

* * *

For what seemed like hours, they continued in this way: crouching in the shadows at the sound of footsteps and Anne's gently tugs on his tunic to lead him in the right direction. Finally, they stood in front of the laundry chute.

"This it?" he asked softly, his words so low that it took her a moment to respond. He turned his eyes towards her and she nodded.

He slipped a clawed finger in the door, gently pushing it open. Thankfully, there was no light emitting from the other floors. However, the downside to the lack of light was that it made it difficult for even Viral to determine what awaited them at the bottom of the chute. Still...what other options did they have if they wanted to get out of this pristine prison? He had to get himself and Anne down the chute in one piece. He looked at her, her blue eyes staring back at him from underneath her hood, a blond tendril curling out from its confines as usual. He reached out, almost unaware of his actions as he looked at her, tucking the curl back behind her ear.

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, Viral," she replied, her cheeks growing a little flush. Only then did he realize what he'd done, snatching back his hand for a moment before extending it out again, fingers open. As she slipped her fingers in his hand, he pondered his decision. But perhaps this immortal body would be good for something for once...

"Come, Anne. Let's get some fresh air."

* * *

Her heart threatened to beat even harder as she took his hand and he pulled her into his arms, her back against his chest, his arms around her waist, holding her so close. She placed her arms over his, leaning back against him. But she kept leaning back. Rather, he was leaning back, and she along with him. Before she could realize exactly what was happening, her world lost its light and she heard the loud echo of the chute's door shutting behind them as they fell down the chute together.

It felt like forever, but she started counting to herself, keeping time in order to be better aware of her surroundings. Her father had taught her that a warrior must always be aware of what was going on, even if it seemed impossible to do so. One second, two....she counted as her arms tightened around Viral's, and she felt his arms pull her closer. She turned her head a little, pressing her ear against his chest, continuing to count even as she listened to his heartbeat.

Eight and a half seconds was as far as she counted before she felt the impact of them landing on fabric. Viral grunted, and she heard him gasp softly as his hold on her loosened. She quickly freed herself from his arms, turning over and looking at him, making sure he was ok. Her hand went to his cheek, his eyes squinting as he grimaced in pain, his teeth showing. Her fingers stroked his skin softly, noticing for the first time how it felt like soft leather. They trailed down his cheek and her eyes flitted to his as they opened.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

His hand went up to hers, grasping it firmly. She was torn between relief, sorrow and pleasure. His hand against hers brought pleasure, while she was upset that he'd pulled her hand away from his face.

"You should know that it takes more than a simple fall to do me in, littling."

The word caught her off guard, and she pulled back away from him for a moment. "Littling" was the term that the Beastmen used to refer to children. He saw her...as a child?

As he got up, glancing around, she let her thoughts finish the logical pattern they were forming. The truth of the matter was that she was quite a bit younger than he was. Viral had never revealed just how old he was, but he'd been at least twenty-something when she was born. He was likely twice her age, if not more. After all, he'd been the contemporary of her parents. It was only natural that he saw her as a child...

So why did that make her want to cry? Why did it hurt so much?

She felt his hand push her head down, felt the container of clothing they'd landed in begin moving, felt the night air stroke her skin softly...but none of it mattered. Anne glanced over at Viral, a full-blown smile on his face as his eyes looked up into the night air. He looked over at her and she smiled back, hoping he didn't see the tears forming in her eyes. For her own safety, she looked away as she realized the truth she'd been suspecting for a while.

She was in love with a Beastman. And not just any Beastman, but Viral, who had been blessed and cursed with immortality.

What the hell had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Viral took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the fresh air. And it was real air, the kind produced by trees and scented with earth and water, not that re-circulated mess they fed the people in the Tribunal. It felt like forever since he'd last been outside, although he knew it'd only been a couple of months. The stars were bright on this planet, and his eyes even caught a glimpse or two of the violet swirls from the closest galaxy. He glanced over at Anne and noticed she was still faced away from him. Her body language was a little stiff, and for a moment, he was brought out of his elation. There was something bothering her, and he took the moment to try and figure out just what had changed between now and when they'd first left. The...feeling that she gave off had changed some point after they'd come down the chute. She'd checked to see if he was ok, he told her it took more to hurt him...

He'd called her littling. It hadn't really been intentional, but it'd come out all the same. After all, hadn't he watched her grow up, played with her on his lap while Kiyoh and Dayakka ran errands, put up with her pestering and nagging... In a tangible way, he had help raise her. At least, he'd like to think he did.

He sighed a little, running his hand through his hair. Where was all this mess coming from? Was he really so attached to this human child? There he went again, referring to her as a child. By human standards, she was an adult in her own right. Heck, by the standards of most Beastmen, she was an adult. So why did he seem so fixated on seeing her as a littling?

The sound of an approaching truck jarred his attention, and he looked up, his ears perking slightly. On the road they were travelling on, a covered truck headed the opposite direction. It had to be a laundry truck – what else could it possibly be? So it'd probably be a good idea to camp somewhere nearby. A quick glance around revealed some fairly thick foliage. It wasn't a full grown forest, but he'd brought a dark tent, and it should blend in well enough to not alert anyone to their presence.

He turned back towards Anne, her eyes following the truck that went by. She looked at him and her face grew a little flush. What the hell had he done this time?

"Umm..." he started awkwardly, her reaction throwing off his train of thought. "We should..here would be a good place..."

"I'm right behind you," she smiled softly.

Maybe he'd just imagined her face was growing a little redder. It certainly didn't appear that way now. He secured the two packs he held and placed a hand on the side of the truck, leaping out without much effort. Viral turned towards the truck, looking for Anne only to realize she'd landed behind him. His face must have revealed his surprise because she smirked a little at him.

"I'm not the littling you think I am, you know. I've got legs, and I will always make sure that they're enough to support my own weight."

As she looked up at him, he stared at her, tilting his head a bit. No, she definitely wasn't his littling any longer. He'd have to come to grips with that fact.

He darted into the nearby trees, careful not to make any sound and awaited the inevitable rushing of leaves and branches. However, the sound never came. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Anne was right behind him, as she'd promised. He smiled, in part to himself and in part at her. It seemed she had learned a thing or two from hanging around him so long. It took a moment before he truly recognized the emotion he felt as pride. That recognition came at about the same time when he realized just how he'd referred to Anne. _His_ littling.

The thought didn't bother him as much as he'd thought it would.


	4. I Need You to See Me

The soft crackle of the fire mixed with the gentle sounds of the night: crickets, the rustle of leaves in the night wind, the yip of some sort of canine a ways off. Light filled the area, but Viral had said that they were far enough from the main road that no one should notice it. While the forest wasn't extremely thick, the light should not draw any unwanted attention. The two rabbits he'd caught were roasting on a makeshift spit over the fire, the sticks already black from the consistent licking of the fire.

Anne sat across from him, slowly brushing out her hair, her eyes focused on some distant point. She'd been careful not to give him the full brunt of her attention since her epiphany on the truck. He'd developed an uncanny sense for reading her, and she didn't want to think about what would happen if he caught a full glimpse of her eyes and whatever emotion happened to be in them at the time.

Her fingers swiftly braided her hair, wrapping it into a small bun so that it wouldn't get too unkempt over the night. Viral's fine nose had led them within walking distance of a small lake, so it seemed that she would be able to bathe before heading back to the Tribunal in the morning. She watched as he reached out, pulling one of the rabbits off the spit, poking its flesh with a clawed finger.

"Dinner's ready," he said, the smile on his face mirrored in his voice. He stretched his arm across the small fire, handing the cooked meat to Anne.

She took the stick, smiling her thanks. She jammed a point of the stick in the ground, taking off the cloak she'd been wearing so that it wouldn't get too in the way. Lifting up the meat to her mouth, the first bite burst with flavor and she wondered just how Viral had managed to make a simple rabbit taste so good with no seasoning whatsoever.

"What did you do to this?" she said around a mouthful of meat.

"Nothing," he responded, lying down next to the fire, poking at the other rabbit, waiting for it to finish. "You humans are so used to dumping spices and flavorings on your food that you forget that sometimes a fire does the job better than anything else."

Anne couldn't help but giggle a little, the simple explanation he offered somehow profound at the same time. But that seemed to sum up what Viral was: profoundly simple or simply profound. She picked the remaining meat off the bones, carefully placing what was left on a pile on a scrape of fabric she'd fished from her pack. He'd finish off the bones as though they were candy, and it was the least she could do to thank him for the meal. The noise of shifting soil reached her ears and she glanced up as Viral took a bite out of the cooked rabbit, the sound of bones snapping as he devoured the entire animal.

He was truly unlike anyone she'd ever known. Still, there were few people she knew quite as well as Viral. Her family, of course, didn't count. As the firstborn child of Dyakka and Kiyoh, two heroes from the downfall of Teppilin, Anne had always had a position that placed her just beyond "common" or "average." She was to be given the best, to be treated like royalty, and to be honored for something in which she had no role.

She'd watch it bother her younger siblings, who'd wanted nothing more than to be just another human child. But for her, it'd opened doors to places she could only dream of travelling to otherwise. Everyone else could have average; she wanted Gurren Lagann, bedtime stories of the Anti-Spiral...and Viral-sama. It wasn't until she was much older did she realize what being different truly meant. It meant being referred to as "that girl" or "Dyakka's daughter" or "Kiyoh's daughter." How other people saw her was through this sheer covering that took away attention from who she really was. People in school, even up through college, would always ask about who or what she knew; it was rarely ever about her. Perhaps that was one reason she'd grown to adore the Beastmen so much. She understood how it was for many of them to be seen as a what rather than a who.

Anne had gone on the occasional date, but few men could hold her interest for long. The few that saw her for who she was weren't as ambitious or exciting as she needed her significant other to be. And the others...well, they just wanted her as some sort of useful trinket. They'd seen the power she had and would come to have and sought a political alliance to further their own goals.

But Viral...he'd always seen her for who she was. The annoying brat, the growing young lady, the diplomat, the confidant...

She handed over the parcel of bones, careful to avoid the dying fire. Viral ran the back of his hand over his mouth before stretching out and taking the parcel from her hands. Her eyes met his for a moment, and she swallowed her pride and smiled softly. He smiled back, setting the parcel down before him.

"Thank you for finding a way out of that place," he said softly.

"You did most of the work, Viral. Thank you."

She pillowed her cloak together, stretching out near the fire and absorbing its dying warmth. Putting her makeshift pillow under her head, she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. Sure, Viral saw her as a child now. But his view of her had changed before. She would just have to make it change yet another time. This situation was just another challenge that she would have to overcome.

As sleep made reality fade, one of the last thoughts that ran through her mind was how oddly comforting the sound of crackling fire and crunching bones was to her spirit.

* * *

The fire had all but died, the smoldering remains outlined in red as they released the last bit of heat they had to offer. His vision adjusted quickly to the darkness, and Anne lay across from him, her breathing soft and deep. It had not taken her long to fall asleep, and it shocked him how little she'd complained. There were women like Yoko who were built for a life outdoors; Anne was certainly not one of them. She'd grown up spoiled and pampered, but this setting seemed perfectly natural for her. She hadn't even bothered to cover herself with a blanket. It was a rather warm night, though, and she would be fine for at least a few hours.

Viral lay back on the ground, his arms behind his head as he stared up through the tree branches, his focus on the stars. Somewhere, there was home. Soon, they'd be back there. Debriefing usually lasted no longer than a week since most of the discussions taking place here were immediately transmitted back to Earth. The higher ups just wanted to pick their brains for anything that they'd noticed or seen during their time at the Tribunal. At that point, Anne and Viral usually went their separate ways. Viral would return to his station on the Chouginga Dai-Gurren and Anne would return to her life in society. If she was still the representative, he'd see her again in another three years.

For some inexplicable reason, three years suddenly seemed like a very long time. He tilted his head, glancing again at her sleeping form. The feeling stirring up in him at the moment reminded him slightly of how he'd come to feel about Simon – a certain kinship, a bond that time wouldn't destroy. But, where he'd been willing to trust Simon with his life, he felt a certain protective feeling about Anne. Not that he'd ever witnessed a moment where she'd needed protection. But he knew he'd do what he could to ensure her safety.

When on Earth had he come to care so much for this child? Like Simon, she would enter his life and then fade out of it with time. Why did he bother to allow himself to become emotionally involved with these creatures when he… Well, he was no longer like them. But who was he like?

Briefly, he entertained the thought of taking off into the woods at a full sprint, reverting to his feral nature. But in the stillness of nature, underneath the stars he'd come to feel so passionately for, he felt it was time to be honest with himself. If he couldn't be honest now, at a time like this, in a place like this…he'd never be honest with himself at all. He'd be running away from the truth of his existence, and the last thing he wanted was to become a coward who refused to deal with his reality.

And this was his reality. No one on earth…in the known universe was like him. He was a Beastman, but was favored among the Spiral beings from all over the galaxy. He was a war hero, but war heroes have very little use in times of peace. He could not move on with life because he could not move at all. His clock was frozen, preventing him from moving along at the pace that everything else around him moved. People grew old, civilizations expanded, children became adults. He was the only thing in his world that remained the same as it did twenty-six years ago.

How the hell was he supposed to deal with that kind of reality facing him? A hand slipped out from under his head, stretching out towards the stars as though he could reach back in time and retrieve his former shell. What he would not give in order to connect with something in the here and now, to be able to live in the present again…

"Viral-sama…"

Fabric rustled softly as Anne shifted in her sleep, that same loose curl falling over her forehead as it always would. The faintest smile was on her face, and Viral could only imagine what she was dreaming about. It had been at least six years since the last time Anne had been allowed to call him "Viral-sama." He'd refused to hear of it once they became equals in regards to their position at the Tribunal. It'd had to have been of some childhood memory, one of the trips in a Ganmen or trailing him around n the Chouginga Dai-Gurren.

Was there really anyone else that was as close to him as Anne? It had been this creature who had thought enough of him to ask him when his birthday was and granted him one when he could not come up with a date. She'd decided that the day he'd received his new body was his birthday since it was one of the few days he could concretely remember and translate into the new universal calendar. None of the other members of the Gurren Lagann Brigade had thought to ask him over the years…

He slowly got up off the ground, careful not to make any noise that would wake up Anne. Pausing for a moment over her, Viral tucked the loose curl behind her ear, staring at her face for a moment. For whatever reason, it seemed they were drawn to each other, and Viral was tired of trying to deny that fact. He stood up, letting his feet take him where they would, knowing he could find his way back by scent if all else failed. Desperation began to form in his heart, almost to the point of terrifying him. If he admitted just how much he wanted Anne to remain in his life, how much he needed her to remind him of his place in this world, then he may not be able to handle a rejection. If Anne would not allow him to stay in her life, he had no idea what he would do.

* * *

When she awoke and opened her eyes, tears flowed down her cheek and Anne struggled to figure out why. Ah…that's right. In her dream, she'd finally confessed her feelings for Viral, and the inevitable rejection came. She would always be a child in his eyes, he'd told her. Bringing her fingertips to her face to pat away the tears, she realized that Viral was nowhere in sight. It was not quite daybreak yet, the sky a deep, vibrant shade of blue while the horizon was a beautiful combination of rose, violet and vermillion. As she sat up, the blanket that had been covering her slipped off, and she stared at it for a moment. If he'd thought enough to ensure her warmth in these chilly morning hours, he would be back soon enough.

She gathered her change of clothing, the soap she'd brought with her and the blanket, since she really didn't have anything else to dry herself off with. Not planning on such good fortune, Anne hadn't thought it worthwhile to bring a towel with her on this trip. Although he wasn't back yet, Viral should be able to tell that she'd gone off to the lake. Besides, she wasn't some child that needed to inform her guardian of every place she went…

A soft sigh burst from her chest as she trudged through the brush on the forest floor. She really had to get over this whole "littling" thing. If she didn't, she'd start developing a complex. It was just an age thing. On the surface, completely understandable. Her emotions were the factor that made the whole situation that much more complicated. A lot of good all that schooling did…it certainly didn't teach her how to deal with the important things in life.

She pushed aside a low-hanging branch and felt the chill coming off the water. Her body shivered instinctively although her mind had already resolved itself concerning the cold water and her skin. Slipping off her shoes near the lake's edge, Anne peered into its depths, startled at the water's clarity. Small fish swam amongst the plants that grew from the lake bed, the water clear enough to make out markings and the shimmer of scales. Taking off the clothes she'd slept in, Anne backed up several feet before rushing towards the lake, performing a flying dive into the chilled water. She had no idea how deep it was, so she carefully angled her trajectory so that she would skim the surface then sink below it. The shock of the water on her warm skin stole whatever remnants of sleep existed within her. Her legs stretched out, the floor of the lake falling beyond her reach, and she swam towards the surface, breaking through and gasping for air and to draw warmth back into her lungs.

As her body adjusted to the water's temperature, her mind forcing it to ignore the large disparity between the liquid chill outside and the blood heat inside, she let her body begin to float, soft breezes grazing the lake and her exposed skin.

One or two stars still shone brightly in defiance of the rising sun. The high branches of the trees framed the sky in a beautiful picture, and Anne enjoyed the simple peace that nature could bring. If only she could lose herself in this peace, this beauty and forget about all the burdens of life.

But that thought simply invited all the problems and concerns back into her mind, all of them jumbling together with such force that she almost lost her balance. Even so, it was easy enough to pull out when issues she wanted to focus on. The remaining days of the Tribunal would handle themselves. Her days after the Tribunal were more planned than not, so that was the furthest thing from her mind. What to do about Viral...

Well, there were only a few more days left, and she'd be in meetings for most of those. They were required to be together that last day as they left immediately after the final conference. This time away from everything was about as alone together as it was ever going to get, and he was nowhere to be found. The only way she was going to demonstrate her maturity to him was through time and exposure...and the more she pondered it, the more it seemed like she'd have to make opportunities happen rather than wait for them.

"Anne! Anne, where the....damn it all, where the hell are you?!"

Viral's voice came blasting through the trees, a flock of resting birds erupting from the trees as Anne struggled to right herself and swim back to shore before he got too close. The fact that he couldn't even be bothered to sniff out her whereabouts was more than a little disconcerting.

As her feet touched down on the lake bed, Viral came crashing through the trees and Anne had just enough time to stop her progress to the shore before her bare torso was completely exposed.

* * *

Of all times for her to go wandering off... Even though he'd wandered off as well. But that was petty stuff right now. He needed to find her, and immediately. He struggled to calm his breathing enough to catch Anne's fragrance on the morning wind. Whatever...he didn't have time for that. He bellowed into the air, not caring who or what heard him as long as he found her.

It was only when he crashed through the trees and into the small lake clearing did he realize that he hadn't been able to scent her our due to the heavy presence of water. Once that realization settled, he then realized that she'd been bathing...and nude no less...

Her arms were crossed over her chest, no tenseness in her muscles, so the movement seemed more preventative than defensive. The long, golden hair was dark with moisture, starting to curl slightly as it began to dry. She stared at him, her blue eyes narrowed slightly in some hostile emotion.

"What the hell are you doing, running through the forest like a rapid mole pig? Did you forget that we're not supposed to be out here? We will end up in so much trouble if someone finds out..."

Her words were hissed in a low whisper, her anger more than evident through her eyes and voice. Viral sighed a little, wading into the water, not caring about the condition of his clothing at the moment. He reached over to where she stood, grabbing one of her arms and pulling her along with him.

"We've got an emergency," he stated, leaving the water, his eyes focused on the makeshift campsite, taking note of what needed to be packed and what could be left. "We've got to get back to the Chouginga now!"

Out of the water, he turned around, ready to convey the news directly so she understood how serious the situation was. He felt a tugging and watched as Anne tried to reach behind her for the blanket that lay on the ground near the water. When her eyes met his, her face turned several shades of red, and she snatched her arm away from his grasp. For a moment, Viral stared at her, wondering what was wrong. He hadn't held her too roughly; hell, he'd been rougher with her when she was a toddler. Maybe it was because he'd interrupted her bath...

He chose at that moment to look her over and seemed then to remember that she had not been – and was still not – wearing any clothing. Viral had known that, but there was something about seeing a glimpse of skin along her hip, her bare ankles, the whiteness of her chest.

"Viral!"

His eyes refocused on her face, and he couldn't help but be moved by the flush on her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes. There was something about it...

The sound of a massive explosion rang through the air behind them, the earth below their feet trembling with the force of it. He glanced over his shoulder, not surprised at the billow of black smoke that erupted into the air.

"What's going on?" she whispered softly, somehow sensing that all was not well.

He turned back towards her, a mixture of excitement and anxiety rising in his heart.

"An Anti-Spiral resurgence group just obliterated Kritolin's security. It seems that now they attack the Tribunal itself."

* * *

Modesty flew out the window once Viral's words left his mouth. She threw off the blanket, struggling to put on her clothes as the fabric stuck to her still moist skin. Once dressed, she rushed after Viral, who'd packed up most of the camp. She glanced over the few remaining items, found nothing that couldn't be replaced, and turned to him, ready to leave. He extended his hand, a gun in it.

"You know how to use this?" he asked, his sword in his other hand.

She took it from him, checked the ammunition and turned off the safety. Unable to resist herself, she looked back at him.

"Who the hell do you think I am?"

He laughed softly, the sound encouraging to her ears, and he raced off into the woods. She kept close behind him, able to keep up with his cautious path. The trip seemed to take forever, but they thankfully came across no Anti-Spiral. It seemed that they were all focused on destroying the Tribunal and all within it. A large shadow loomed overhead, darkening the pre-dawn sky. Her eyes turned up and she saw the dark space ship, green glyphs covering its exterior. She stopped for a moment, in awe and in terror. Her years had been full of peace, and she'd never truly been in a fight. Could she really...

Something hit the surface of the ship, causing chunks of it to fall to the planet's surface. Ganmen and Grapearls filled the sky between the Tribunal and the threatening vessel. Even as she felt the fear still present, she knew her place was up there, with them.

"Hurry, Viral," she huffed as she chased after him. "I want to pilot Gurren Lagann..."


	5. Nemesis

The Anti-Spiral were no fools. They realized as they ran through the wilderness that there were none to be seen on the ground. For all purposes, it seemed that the full focus of their attacks was on the Tribunal. Who would've thought they would be so bold...

Anne watched as the Tribunal compound grew larger on the horizon as they approached it, eventually making out evacuation vehicles and the large group of Ganmen that guarded the vehicles. Obviously, there was no taking to the air any time soon. However, the representatives needed to be evacuated.

Like hell she'd let them pack her up when there was a fight to be fought.

A Ganmen pointed its gun in their direction, and as it should, fired first and seemed not in the least interested in questions. She glanced at the energy blast that zoomed in their direction, pausing for a moment before feeling Viral snatch her up off the ground, toss her over his shoulder and take off in the direction of the compound.

"Viral!" she managed to shout, the sound lost in the roaring zoom of the blast as it singed the top of her hair.

The ground zipped by as Viral raced as quickly as he could, approaching the Ganmen so that they would realize they were friend, not foe. It didn't help that the Anti-Spiral appeared just like any other person...

She held her breath, held onto him, and hoped that his balance was as exceptional as she'd always thought it would be.

* * *

A few more yards, and he would be close enough. Abruptly, he stopped, catching Anne as she flew off his shoulder. He drew in a deep breath to power what he was about to yell.

"You damned fools! Stop firing already and let us on the Gurren Lagann!"

He waited, a hand on Anne's waist as he prepared to toss her back over his shoulder in case they began to fire once more. His eyes searched the cockpit of the Ganmen, trying to see through the tempered material and look at whom he was dealing with.

The Ganmen lowered its gun and he breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of Anne. They approached at a quick pace, one of the Ganmen kneeling as the hatch opened and he saw Gimi climb out.

"What the hell are you doing out there, Viral?" he asked, standing up and looking genuinely pissed off. "We've been looking all over for the both of you, fearing the worse..."

"Shut the hell up and take us to Gurren," he interrupted.

Gimi looked from him to Anne, then let his eyes focus back on Viral.

"There is no way we can let you fight," he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice. Viral recognized it, and knew that from one pilot to another, he understood the desire to fight. "We have strict orders to get all the dignitaries to a safe location."

"I don't care what orders you have or who they came from," Anne said, walking towards the mech. "As the representative from Earth, my authority trumps that of anyone else's when it comes down to emergency situations regarding the safety of Earth citizens. I am fighting, Gimi, and if you don't want me to, you're just going to have to shoot me. It's been ages since I've done anything other than give a stupid report or listen to another meaningless tirade about the Anti-Spiral...which are trying to destroy us as we speak. So do us all a favor, and take us to Gurren."

Viral stared at Anne's back, her hands in her hair as she braided it up tightly, wrapping it into a bun and securing it the best she could. He could tell by her posture that her eyes never left Gimi's. Gimi gave them both another glance, a soft smile easing itself onto his lips.

"Just blame me if anyone says anything," Viral said, knowing the discussion was over. "Spiral knows that I have to keep up my reputation as a troublemaker. Might as well dump it on my head."

Gimi just shrugged as he let them pass by and into the docking bay.

"Gurren is secured with the self-detonation sequence in play. Unfortunately, the only one here with the Spiral energy to pilot it efficiently..."

* * *

"Is me," Anne said, unable to contain the excitement she felt.

As she and Viral made their way towards the legendary Ganmen, she quickly went over all she had learned and witnessed. Admittedly, she'd only piloted Gurren Lagann in a brief scrimmage, but she wasn't going to let that give birth to doubt or terror. Fear was another matter.

Fear was recognized, not ignored. Fear was to be embraced, not to be refused. Courage and a fighting spirit were all well and good, but her parents had drilled into her the need to embrace fear as a way to temper the unlimited power that her courage and Spiral energy seemed to yield.

Anne felt this fear hit her momentarily as she climbed into the cockpit of Lagann. She paused, taking in the cool feel of the metal against her skin, letting her lungs slowly fill up with air. Her fingers flickered up to her chest, feeling the pulse of the core drill start to beat, matching her heartbeat. It'd been too long...

"Let's get going, Anne."

She looked down, Viral staring up at her expectantly. It finally hit her that they would be piloting Gurren Lagann...together. She smiled brightly, and he responded in kind. The excitement that emanated from him echoed within her own being. Anne hopped into the seat, the hatch closing down as she slipped the delicate chain around her neck and took the top of the drill between her fingers.

"You were created for this," she said as she stuck it in the slot and turned, watching the front panel illuminate, the glow spreading all around her as her energy poured into the mech.

* * *

Whether the words were spoken for herself or for Lagann, even she did not know.

Viral glanced at the screen pop up in the corner, seeing the curl on Anne's lips as she focused on the controls in front of her. He was more than a little concerned with her abilities to fight as well as himself or even Gimi. However, he was thoroughly pleased at her eagerness. He'd much rather go into battle with someone who was going to enjoy it than someone who saw it as an obligation.

How long had it been since he had gone into a real battle? His mind considered and dismissed the many skirmishes that he'd been in, all of them falling short in comparison with the last time he'd piloted with Simon.

"Hey!" he heard.

Glancing up, he saw Anne fill his screen.

"Stop daydreaming already. The sooner we can kick some Anti-Spiral ass, the sooner we can go home!"

He gave her a full grown grin, finding it mirrored on her face.

"You're a woman after my own heart, Anne," he responded, his eyes refocusing on the view that he now had on his screen. The Ganmen had lined up, making a path for the Gurren Lagann.

It was for such times as these that he had truly been born for.

* * *

He flew, and she flew with it. Everything around her became a blur, the whites of the Ganmen, the greens of the trees...even the blues and yellows of the lasers as they rushed past her vision. Gurren Lagann shot out of the darkness of the holding bay and into the air as Anne steered straight for the large Anti-Spiral ship. At most, they would destroy it; at the very least, her and Viral could divert the attention of the Anti-Spirals on them, allowing the others to escape and the troops to regroup.

Pulling off the large shades that adorned the legendary mech, Anne flung them at the leader ship, her eyes focusing on it as she watched the screen do what minimal analysis it could. Where the hell was Leeron when you actually needed him? The ship was easily the size of the Arc Gurren, demonstrating to her how serious a threat this situation was. Where had they gotten such a ship?

"Anne, focus!"

The voice brought her back, just in time to see catch the glasses and thrust them at an attacking enemy gunmen before placing them back on Gurren Lagann. The diplomat was useless here; she need to focus all of her mental capacity to the battle at hand. She'd been in a skirmish or two before...but this...

"It's Giga Drill time, Viral," she said, placing her hand on the core drill, feeling it tingle beneath her fingers. She swore it seemed to sense her desire, tugging with unseen hands at the Spiral energy that rest within her. The spiral pattern in front of her blazed alive, turning green as she twisted it clockwise with the pattern.

She heard Viral laugh, the sound bring a smile to her lips as he piloted them closer and closer to the ship, straight into a cloud of enemy Ganmen. Her breath caught in her chest, and she felt the tension build up in her lungs. The moment had to be perfect. She had to take out as many as possible. Her fingers twitched against the core drill and she blinked.

She found herself staring into the barrel of an Anti-Spiral gun.

* * *

"Damn it, Anne!"

He felt her snap out of it and release the Giga Drill, feeling the energy course around him. A slight growl of irritation raising in his throat, Viral wasn't certain towards whom the emotion was directed. The screen erupted in explosions as the Ganmen pierced by the Giga Drills met their fate. That was entirely too close, although he knew Anne was doing the best she could.

"Gurren Lagann. The one that started the whole universe heading towards Spiral Nemesis once more."

His eyes flickered over the span of the screen, finally resting on the source of the voice. There was just something about it...the feel of it was that of one full of power and authority. It resembled Lordgenome's Ganmen, and the thought of his one-time ruler made his eyes narrow slightly.

"Spiral Nemesis will not happen as long as we are aware of how much energy we use and monitor its affect on the universe," Anne said from above him. "An option that was never available before and obviously not considered."

"Spiral beings can no more limit their use of Spiral Energy as the universe can stop expanding. So naïve..."

The Ganmen disappeared only to reappear in front of Gurren Lagann. All firing had ceased, the air around them sounding eerily still in the midst of the moment.

"Hand over Gurren Lagann and we will cease this battle."

"And what of this war?" Viral said. "You cannot be ignorant to the power that this Ganmen holds, and I can't imagine you'd want it as some sort of trophy on whatever wall you have at home."

"A Beastman? Fascinating. I've heard of your kind."

The statement caught Viral off guard. Many of the Anti-Spirals were those who had been persuaded or brainwashed into believing that Spiral life forms should be held down and controlled for the sake of the Universe. Most had heard of his name. He felt more than a little offended.

"Leave," Anne said. "I have no desire to take any more life."

"Pity."

The single word was stated with no emotion, let alone concern. The Ganmen produced a sword, the energy creating it leaving the blade in soft, white waves as it pointed towards the ground below them.

"Anne!"

* * *

His voice rang in her ears, and she struggled to make a decision. She saw what was happening, knew that something must be done...

Anne was struck by the realization that this...entity wanted her to kill it. Stripping the Gurren Lagann of its shades once more, she flung them at the arm of the Ganmen, knocking the sword from its hand and shooting to grab it before it hit the ground.

Gurren Lagann was slammed in its side, forcing it to struggle for control, righting itself before it crashed to the ground. Turning to face the other Ganmen, Anne struggled to relocate it. The thing was too fast...too fast. What kind of technology was allowing it to move faster than Gurren? Or was it her?

Something slammed into their back, and Anne felt her neck twinge at the way it snapped back and forth. Where was it? Her breath started to come in gasps as she turned around, hoping for a sign of this foe.

"Kill or be killed," the voice rasped. "It matters not to us."

Her eyes drifted up towards the Anti-Spiral ship and noticed it was descending, and rapidly. The elusive Ganmen hovered where it once hung in the air, arms crossed in seeming arrogance.

"You shall know despair once more. You shall fear. And Spiral beings will return to the limits that must be placed upon them."

It was with a sense of dread that Anne watched the Ganmen barrel itself into the ship, setting off a chain reaction of explosions as the ship broke into dozens...hundreds of pieces and fell with deathly beauty upon those that remained on the planet.

Viral severed the connection between Gurren and Lagann, piloting the larger mech towards the vehicles.

"Anne, destory as much of the debris as possible. I'm going to protect the dignitaries."

He refused to look back and see what was heading towards him. He'd be damned if he'd spent this long working for this Tribunal only to watch the entire mess blow up in his face. Literally.

"Viral, what the hell...."

"Go and take care of that rainstorm, Gimi," he told the voice as he landed near the vehicles. "Anne needs all the help she can get up there. I'll watch these people." Go!"

The Ganmen took off without an argument, the rest of the Ganment left on the ground following it. Pulling off the shades that were part of Gurren, he positioned himself between the bulk of the debris and the cars full of people. Behind him, the compound smoked from the damage it had taken during this battle and the continuing damage that rained on it from above. He hoped that those inside had been evacuated, or at least sent to the lower levels.

He was starting to regret asking for more than just a desk job. More than anything, he wanted to turn back the hands of time for just a moment. Slinging the shades at a piece of the ship as it came towards them, it split in two, the remaining bits shot down by Ganmen that were patrolling the skies and area around them.

What the hell were the Anti-Spiral thinking?

* * *

Anne piloted Lagann towards a falling Ganmen, merging with it as she watched the schematics on her screen change, the remains of the mech restoring themselves through her Spiral energy and the power of Lagann. Drills formed on each of its arms, and she set to work destroying the remaining Ganmen and attacking the debris the best she could. She refused to acknowledge the sounds as a piece was missed and fell, crashing to the ground beneath them. Thoughts couldn't be spared of what lay below the chunks of metal that scattered the earth nor who, if anyone, remained in the smoking towers of the compound.

She lashed out with her drills, ripping apart a large chunk of the ship as it fell, the drills erupting into smaller drills in hopes of shredding it all. Nothing could be left in one piece.

Again and again. It seemed the rain never stopped. The sky turned black with smoke as they labored. It was only when a moment of quiet struck that she heard the echoes of her deep panting through Lagann. Her eyes flickered to the core drill, where it sat sputtering, reflecting the state of her energy, her will.

"Just a little..."

Pushing herself, she struck the final piece of the ship that fell, ripping it apart, but not before she saw the trashed remains of the mysterious Ganmen imbedded in the debris. As Lagann started to fall, she collapsed , her body falling over the controls as her fingers clung to the core drill still inside its slot.


	6. Killing Me Softly

He felt what had happened to her a moment before his eyes started scanning the skies for the mech. For the first time in ages, he felt the smallest inkling of fear. It was a feeling of sheer loss, as though his very strength and will to fight had left him, and the emptiness made his stomach nauseous as his golden eyes flitted across the smoke and unnatural rain that feel from the heavens, desperate to find Anne.

Once he located Lagann, Gurren sprung into the air. A soft tug at Viral's mind reminded him that he was supposed to be watching the dignitaries. Damn the dignitaries, damn the Tribunal...and most of all, damn the Anti-Spirals. He had to get to Anne before she crashed to the ground.

Lagann detached from the Anti-Spiral ganman that it had merged with, the smaller mech colliding with the all-but destroyed remains before continuing its descent. Viral piloted Gurren in a straight line, making slight adjustments to right himself as debris fell on him or otherwise got in his way. Just a little farther...she was almost at eye-level with him as he pushed Gurren to its limits, demanding that the machine go beyond. Viral felt as though it was his own arm that stretched out, trying to grasp at Anne as she fell just beyond his fingers, still heading towards the earth.

"Viral, what the hell? The ambassadors..."

"Anne's in trouble!" he all but growled at Gimi, grabbing the controls and rocketing towards the ground, determined not to let more harm come to Anne than she'd already endured.

The console flared up for a moment, enough to steal his attention for a moment before Gurren shot like a laser towards the ground, quickly overtaking Lagann as they both headed towards the ground. Flipping around quickly, Viral managed to just catch Anne, grunting slightly as he slowed their descent as much as he could, still feeling the ground strike them with a forceful thud that left a slight ringing in his ears. He'd dealt with worse, and struggled to get free of the cockpit, jumping out and making his way over the curves of metal until he reached Anne. Digging his long fingers claw first into the face of the mech, he felt it click open, his nose quickly searching the air that escaped with a slight hiss for the scent of blood. A soft sigh of relief huffed out of him as he realized that she was not outwardly injured. Climbing into the small area with her, he slipped a hand behind her head, careful to cradle it as he slipped the fingers of his other hand to her throat to check her pulse. Although a little irregular, it still beat on, and he rested his hand on her collarbone, tensing for a moment as her eyelashes fluttered open, the hint of a moan leaving her lips. Her eyes glanced upward for a moment before moving towards his face, and she simply stared at him for a while.

"Viral..." she murmured, the word sounding like more than a question but less than a plea.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again."

It was only after she was firmly in his arms, his chin resting softly on her head did Viral stop to consider that perhaps he should not have moved her so quickly without checking her for injuries first.

When he felt her arms slip around his back, returning the gesture weakly, he allowed himself the brief indulgence of holding her.

* * *

There was a security in his embrace that she'd always suspected was there. The pain in her head seemed to disappear, and her shoulders shook slightly as she laughed to herself, almost hearing Leeron explain how her body was producing chemicals to deal with the pain. She felt Viral shift, and fearing that he'd pull away, she all but clung to him, feeling somewhat childish in her desire to prolong the moment as much as possible. For all she knew, this time would be all she had to at least pretend he was hers, like...like he felt the same way she did.

"I won't," she whispered softly in response to his statement, the sound echoing through the hallow room as she heard the sound of Grapearls landing around them and, with a great reluctance, let him go. Turning slightly, feeling her her muscles ache and suspecting at least a few tears, Anne lifted her eyes to see a few pilots leave their mechs, Gimi among them as they raced towards where she and Viral sat.

"Are you two alright?" he asked, stopped short, taking a knee and glancing over Anne as his eyes shifted between her and her rescuer.

"A bit banged and bruised, but I have felt worse," she told him, sitting up more, struggling to stand to her feet. Viral all but leapt to his, holding out a hand to help her stay steady. "How are the dignitaries? Do we have any casualties?"

"No casualties yet, although one or two of them were injured after Viral took off after you." The words were more than a little accusing, his dark eyes flashing in the Beastman's direction before returning to her. "We don't know about any of the civilians yet, but we've already sent out distress calls to the nearby Spiral planets. There should be assistance here in a few hours, so it's just a matter of trying to clear away as much rubble as possible and start rescuing those who may be injured or stuck inside the complex still."

He paused for a moment, running a gloved hand through his hair and letting out a long sigh.

"Your parents would have killed me if anything had happened to you, Anne. I should never have let you take off in Gurren Lagann with this damned fool..."

"How dare you!" she hissed, the sound a mixed result of the pain in her body and the rage she felt rising. "You would expect me..._me_...to sit by idly as Anti-Spiral attacked the Tribunal? The rest of the ambassadors may not be trained to fight or have the courage to do so, but you would be a complete fool if you think for one moment that I would dishonor the legacy of my parents and their peers by letting you protect me in those...those...pathetic attempts at Gurren Lagann. How dare you!"

"Anne, calm down," Viral murmured.

Only when she felt his arm slip around her shoulders did she realize that she had been swaying on her feet. Though now silent, her eyes narrowed slightly and she did what she could to shoot daggers at Gimi. The older man finally looked away, taking a step back and turning as though to head back to his Grapearl.

"I was just worried about you, that's all. We all were."

Her eyes shifted for a moment to the other pilots, and the concern was apparent on their face, albeit laced with a discomfort from the situation.

"I'm sorry, Gimi. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm just..." her words trailed off as she replayed the last hour or so in her mind. Hundreds of questions filled her mind and there were no answers to soothe her, and Anne was no fool to think that any would be coming soon. The rage she felt was a nasty combination of the past 24 hours. Just yesterday, she was a woman whose biggest problem was dealing with her blossoming emotions towards a man who was old enough to be her father and lacked the desirable quality of humanity. Now she was a woman who was undoubtedly falling in love with a Beastman and had to deal with a very real threat of a foe they had been desperately trying to prepare for. Her eyes scanned the horizon, and the once lush surrounding of the former Tribunal complex was scarred with the carcases of mechs and the rising acrid smoke.

"What the hell happened here?" she murmured, feeling Viral's arm tighten around her shoulder slightly. Not caring who looked or what they thought, she leaned against him, letting him support her weight as they stood there, trying to regain some form of sanity.

* * *

Had this been a victory or a defeat? He had a sinking feeling that it was more the latter than the former, and certainly knew that this skirmish was only the first of many to come. The Anti-Spiral had been persistent in planning whatever they had been scheming, and apparently they did not trust the Spiral beings the way that the last avatar of this self-cursed race had. Perhaps he truly hadn't, and this attack was the remains of a legacy.

Anne's weight against his frame was gentle, almost calming in the midst of the chaos. She still smelt heavily of the forest earth and water, although most of that scent was buried beneath her own sweat and his heavy musk. Afraid if he let her go that she would simply fall, Viral kept an arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the convoy, a few pilots striding quickly past them to reclaim Gurren Lagann and set it somewhere out of place for the time being. When they finally reached the area where the dignitaries sat, a few of the women let out high-pitched gasps, the sound scratching against his ear drums as one or two stood up and attempted to flock around Anne.

"Oh, you poor dear. What on earth did you drag her into, you..."

"Not another word," he heard Anne say, feeling her body tensing slightly. "I swear, you'll wish you'd died with the Anti-Spiral. Just shut up and let me rest."

The female ambassadors glanced between them, the younger of the two opening her thin lips before Viral's own parted in a soft snarl. These fluff-headed spawn of nobility and wealth knew nothing of sacrifice or honor...not the way a warrior did, and Anne had more the making of one than all but a few men who sat at the Tribunal table. The sad irony of the situation was that most of the Spiral being who held great energy were more than content with letting others do the real fighting, hiding behind their desks and papers and letting others bleed and sweat for the things that really mattered...

His eyes narrowed as he glared at the women, and they finally left, returning to their seats as one of the more sensible ambassadors made room for them both on the small hovercraft that held them all.

"Anne?" he asked softly over her head, the words losing themselves in her golden strands before she glanced up at him, her blue irises seeming all the brighter amongst the red that tinted the whites in her eyes. "Are you sure you're ok? Would you prefer to lay down? Do you need anything?"

Her eyes shifted, something changing in them although he couldn't quite explain it, but the subtle change did not escape his eye for detail and Viral moved, ready to run for the nearest medic if necessary. He was almost ashamed at the sigh of relief that wisped from him as she merely angled her body so that she could use his thigh as a pillow, her delicate fingers resting on his knee. It wasn't until he smelled the salt in the air and felt a slight dampness on his the cloth of his pants that he realized she was crying. Unsure of what to do, as he had ever been whenever Anne decided to cry around him, he decided to try what he'd never really dared to before. Careful not to scratch her scalp with the claws on the ends of his finger, he mimicked the movement he'd seen many a human parent do to an child, and gently ran his fingers through her hair. He'd dare not tell her it would be alright, since even he was not sure what to hope for.

* * *

Anne pressed her hand against the chill of the window, watching the planet grow smaller and smaller as the Choginga drifted away, preparing to speed back to Earth where it would await the arrival of Spiral being from all over. In the few moments before assistance arrived, the ambassadors had agreed to meet on Earth to put together a war council. Earth was the one that had broken the hold of the Anti-Spiral beings before, so it was only fitting.

When they had finally attempted to dig into the remains of the complex, they did so with heavy hearts and even heavier discoveries. The casualties had been great, the injured numerous and the shock too much to bare. She had all but clung to Viral for most of the time and was now dealing with the backlash. She hated herself for being so weak, frustrated at her inability to effectively use the Spiral power coursing through her body, and heartsick at the way Viral had treated her.

Littling.

He'd all but called her that the whole day, and Anne had let him treat her that way because she'd needed someone to reassure her. She was not particularly good friends with Gimi and most of the others who accompanied them on these trips went out of their way to avoid her. Viral was the only one she could look to for a semblance of normalcy and comfort, and he'd treated her as a damned child. Still, what else could he have done, as she certainly was not so bold as to demand he comfort her in some other way.

Her hand curled in on itself, her fist raising to pound once on the glass as she fought the urge to burst into tears once more. They would be back at Earth within the next 24 hours, and she almost relished the thought of how busy she would be. As the ambassador for the planet hosting the council, Anne would be in charge of most of the arrangements, taking note of who was arriving and who would be simply sending correspondence. A soft smirk touched her lips as she thought of making Roshiu take the reins since that was his area of expertise. She would be so fortunate...

A soft knock on her door almost sounded like pounding to her head. It ached as a result of the crying she'd done and she did not have a spare moment to wipe away the few tears that had escaped her eyes as Viral stepped into the room, a tray balanced on an arm as he carried a stack of papers in the other. The look on his face swayed between concern and apology as his feline eyes shifted from the papers to her face.

"I'm sorry," he said, and she could tell he wasn't quite sure what he was apologizing for. "I figured you could use something to take your mind off the attack, but I'm not sure if this will help or hurt more."

"Just set them on my desk. I'll get to them soon enough."

One look told her that there was enough food on the tray for the both of them, so she went over to the small, but ornate table in her room, pulling out one of the four cushioned chairs to sit down in, waiting for him to join her with the food. There was an awkward silence as she picked up the bowl of soup, sipping at it slowly as she picked at the plate of marinated meat and fresh vegetables, Viral's soft crunching feeling the air as he chewed on the meat and bones of some small creature. Taking the tea, she poured a cup for herself and Viral, setting his cup in front of him. Their eyes met for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"If you need anything...anything that can make this easier, tell me." The tenderness in his voice threatened to push her beyond her limits. A moment before she was about to nod, he spoke again, this time sending her crashing through them.

"You're the closest thing to family I have, so I hate seeing you like this."

Family. Just when she thought she couldn't feel anymore helpless about the situation. It was only the way his ears were slightly tilted that let her know those words had not come cheaply, and in acknowledgment of the admission, Anne chose her own words carefully.

"What I need, more than anything right now, is for you to stop treating me like your child and for you to see me for who I am. I wish..."

The look on his face made her set down her cup, slip out of her seat and go to her bathroom.

* * *

Swallowing his mouthful, Viral heard water run, thick and heavy rather than the sprinkling for a shower. Mixed in with the sound of water was the muffled sound of sobs. More than a little confused and a little hurt, he left the tray for a maid to pick up later, his appetite completely gone.

He knew he had said something wrong, but he was struggling to determine just what. Was she upset that he'd called her family. He couldn't believe she saw him as just another Beastman. He'd thought...well, he wasn't quite sure what he'd thought. Perhaps he had expected her to be fond of him the same way he was of her. Perhaps he was just over-thinking the whole matter.

"Damned humans with their blasted emotions." The statement came out half-hearted, Viral unable to completely criticize the emotional nature of Spiral beings when he himself seemed to be so affected by his own as of late.

His steps slowed slightly and he leaned against the wall of the corridor, feeling tired and drained for no conceivable reason. At this moment, he'd rather be facing the Anti-Spiral. Anything but being left alone with his own thoughts and Anne's sobs ringing in his memory.


	7. Reconnecting

"Anne!"

The cries did not have to travel far since her parents were at the front of the crowd, the status they held allowing them to step beyond the thick red rope that prevented the masses from interfering with the return of the Choginga Dai-Gurren and its passengers. A soft sigh of relief mixed into the sounds of her parents and siblings fretting over her, four pairs of hands fluttering around her as though to ensure she was all there.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," she told them, gently making room for her to breath. Faces looked up and down at her, concern painted on all of them...

"I heard you piloted Gurren Lagann for the first time in battle," Dayakka said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

As she nodded, the concern on his face melted into a mixture of pride and nostalgia. Anne felt her own face change, a smile forming as she delved into her own memories. Even the concern on her mother's face softened a bit.

"That's my girl!" he said.

Just like that, the tense moment of reunion became a reliving of those few, delicious moments piloting the legendary Ganmen. There certainly was no need for them to know how close to death she had been. If it hadn't been for...

"Viral!"

A chill flew through her back, and she had to remind herself to breathe. Her heart thudded in her chest as she felt Viral approaching her and her family from behind her. The last time she'd spoken to him had been within the confines of her room. Since then, she'd gone out of her way to avoid so much as making eye contact with him...even to the point of ignoring him saying her name.

And Viral was not the type of person who would allow himself to be ignored for long.

* * *

That was it. He'd just about had it. The worst thing is that he wasn't really sure what he was fed up with. Since that day he'd left her sobbing in the bathroom, he'd tried everything from casual conversation to putting himself in her path to waiting for her in front of her room... Somehow, she'd managed to avoid him for the entire trip home.

As he made his way towards the Rittona family, his mind replayed every emotion he'd had to endure over the past 24 hours. Anger, frustration, sadness, fear, loneliness, disgust... Hell, half the time he didn't know who or what the emotions were directed towards. The irony is that he was grateful for those emotions he was uncertain of. The more general ones...like the loneliness...

Straightening himself up, he deliberately stopped a few inches behind Anne, his left shoulder close to touching her right one, and she had nowhere to go, sandwiched between him and her family as he glared down at the top of her head briefly before looking at her family.

"It's been a while," he said, more a statement than the typical greeting between friends or comrades. "You all look well."

"So do you, Viral," Kiyoh said, smiling softly. "Thank you for taking care of our Anne. You were the one who helped her pilot, yes?"

"Just like the old days," Dayakka commented. The wistful smile quickly melted as the look in his eye dimmed, showing his transition to the more pressing matter at hand. "What's your opinion on them this time?"

There was no need to say who _them_ was. Quickly, he rewound the encounter in his mind before opening his mouth again.

"They are just as...perhaps more ruthless than their predecessors. The one we spoke with wanted death, no matter whose blood was shed. It was like..."

The silence grew before Anne shivered, reminding him how close he was to her.

"It knew how much I wanted to avoid bloodshed," she continued. "And it deliberately tried to cause as much as it could. They want to control by despair and fear again. That little skirmish was only the introduction. We must prepare for what will be done in the future..."

"Oh, yes," Dayakka said quickly, remembering the role his daughter now played in the Earth. "Let's get you settled and home before you have to head to Kamina City. It was good seeing you again, Viral. I'm sure we'll be in touch."

He was surprised at his lack of surprise at the tinge of jealousy that shot through his mind as he saw Anne's siblings grab each of her arms, chatting happily with her about all that had gone on since the last time they'd met. Please...please... Before he knew it, he'd taken a step forward and had to restrain himself from reaching out for her. Damn it, what had come over him? He found himself steadily taking on qualities of these humans. All he'd wanted was...

Anne glanced over her shoulder at him, her gaze anything but blank. He'd thought she was mad at him or wanted to keep her distance...but even he knew sadness when he saw it. What the hell was she sad about? With one question answered, another replaced it. Well, at least she wasn't mad. So there was still hope... But hope for what?

Viral lifted a hand, scratching at the rough patch on the back of his neck. He immediately stopped, snarling at the pain he felt as he snatched his claws from behind his neck. He'd always done that when he was thinking, and it'd never been that sensitive before. Pulling his claws in front of him, he stared at the bright red color that painted the tips of his claws.

"Great...just great..." he huffed, wiping his hand on his clothing, refusing to care about the fabric when he had bigger issues on his mind. First, his mind, now his body; he seemed to be falling apart at the seams.

"Just...great."

* * *

"I'm glad you've been so well," Anne told them all, smiling at her family as she relaxed on the couch, recovering from a rather large meal with a soothing cup of jasmine tea. Kinian had done well for herself, rising to the top ranks of the Earth's defensive Grapearl squad. Anne had spent most of dinner going into the more mechanical details of piloting Gurren Lagann. Kittan had gone the diplomatic route, and although he may not realize it, Kiyoh was infinitely relieved. There had been a certain amount of trepidation in choosing to name the only boy after her brother who had died while piloting a Ganmen, fearing that he would follow his fate. Thankfully, his gift for languages and extensive patience made him more suited for politics than battle. He could pilot if he wanted to, but it wasn't his career of choice, and that suited them all just fine.

It seemed that no matter what the topic was, she always managed to link it back to Viral. She had felt horrible, absolutely horrible about the way she'd snubbed him the past few days. It had been selfish self-preservation, and Anne had not problem admitting that fact. The problem was that she didn't realize how much she'd affected him in the process. Although it was only a glance that she'd spared him as she'd left the Choginga, his body posture had been very telling.

Viral was lonely. He'd missed her and the time they'd spent together, and that fact was in the slightly pained look in his eyes and the way his hand had been slightly extended. And he called her a child... Well, he hadn't said as much, but that's what she knew he was thinking. She was pretty sure, anyway.

Lifting her cup to her lips, she finally became aware of the silence around her and the weight of everyone's eyes upon her.

"Anne?" Kinian said, leaning forward on the stool she was sitting on. It wasn't until she felt her sister's fingers wipe away the tear trailing down her cheek did she realize she'd started crying. As she felt the first sob rise up in her chest, Anne felt a certain sense of resignation. If she couldn't tell her brother and sister, who could she tell...

"I'm so sick and tired of crying," she laughed, the tears falling more steadily as she took Kinian's hand between hers.

* * *

If he kept snarling like this, he was convinced that his face may well get stuck in this position. Of all the blasted doctors to end up with...

Leeron flounced back into the room, a folder in one hand and a clipboard in the other as his signature red-violet heels clicked away on the tiled floor. He sat himself right next to Viral, who shifted over as far as he could before falling off the stiff hospital bed.

"Well, I just don't know what to tell you," Leeron reported, opening the folder as he clamped it down on the clipboard, lifting up a page and glancing over it, oblivious or ignoring Viral's reaction to being so close to the fabulous man. "All of your tests came back within the expected ranges. Nothing seems to be..."

Silence filled the room as he flipped to the next page, a serious look coming over his face. "My, my...that's a bit unexpected."

"What is?" Viral asked, the change in atmosphere catching him more than a little off guard.

"Your genetic structure is having a bit of a crisis, it seems. I've never really paid much attention to the deviation in your genes when compared to other beastmen since your body is of a totally different composition, but this result is atypical even for you..."

"Could you just get to the point?"

"I could, but then you'd just bother me with more questions. But that's fine. You can stay here all day, if that's what you want."

"Fine!...wait, no. Not fine! Just get back to what you were saying in the first place. What the hell is going on?"

"Your cellular structure is constantly regenerating. While most people and beastmen have a certain threshold where that regeneration process slows down, you do not, and that's what keeps you so young and nubile. But that process seems to be...altering, somehow.

The cells are still regenerating, but they are also changing with each new generation. Nothing too significant, but if we presume that this process has been happening since Lordgenome gave you your new body, then the disappearance of the scales on the back of your neck may only be the tip of the iceberg.

I'm not certain I would call it evolution, per se...but I simply don't know what else to call it. However, if you are evolving, in any sense of the word, then the only logical conclusion is that you can put out your own Spiral energy."

The pages rustled as Leeron let them drop, turning his critical gaze to Viral. Spiral energy? Evolution?

"...am I turning human?"

"Even I can't tell you the answer to that," he shrugged, crossing his legs and assuming a pondering pose, his delicate fingers holding his chin as he stared off into nothing. "I'm not certain there are tests to show if you were. We wouldn't know it til it happened at this point. Whatever 'it' is, anyway."

He stood up, going over to the computer terminal that sat in the room, entering a summary of the visit, the scientist in him taking over quickly.

"Seeing as how Lordgenome didn't intend for anything to live much longer with the Anti-Spiral scheming away, he couldn't have thought through the implications of your new body much. It was only supposed to stand the test of time...maybe join the Anti-Spiral. It certainly is fascinating though."

Fascinating, he said. Great. All he wanted was to become this nutjob's personal experiment. He grabbed his shirt from where it still sat on the bed, pulling it on. The sound of the seams stretching let him know he'd yanked it a little too much, and he hopped there wasn't a hole in the flimsy fabric. Human clothing could be such a pain sometimes...

"Here's your slip. Just pass it to the nurse on your way out. Call me if anything else worth mentioning happens, love."

Viral left to escape the wink as much as the room and the revelation that had occurred in there. You think he'd be used to the bends in the road that life kept throwing at him. But the thought that he may be developing Spiral Energy... A slight, but genuine smile touched his face. How much more powerful would Gurren Lagann be if both he and Anne could pilot it with the force of their energy? The Anti-Spiral wouldn't stand a chance.

Anne. He'd see her tomorrow at the Earth Council meeting. He had a feeling she'd insist on being on the front lines, and he wasn't going to let her do it alone. Still, he wasn't sure how to break that awkward wall that had sprung up between them.

His feet almost took him past the attending nurse who sat at the front desk, a fairly attractive beastwoman, the horns that erupted from her head curving down to frame her petite face. She smiled brightly at him as he passed her the slip. She...

"Tell me something. How would a guy go about apologizing for something he didn't know he did?"

* * *

Although she wasn't surprised at the fact that her brother ignored her presence, it still hurt. It had been three days since she'd told her little brother and sister about her feelings for Viral. While Kinian clearly had no idea how to take it, Kittan certainly made his opinion known. Mother and father wouldn't stand for it. Of all people, why Viral? What was wrong with her? She obviously needed to settle down and stop playing at this whole ambassador affair...

He'd gone on until Kinian had punched him squarely in his nose. She hadn't broken it, but he'd had to make more than one excuse as to why his nose was swollen. At least he'd had enough sense to keep to one simple lie. He'd rather break a few oaths than let the others know about his sister's "problem."

"Problem my ass," she grumbled over her coffee as she poured herself a cup from the open bar at the far end of the room.

"That's a new scent."

The cup and its contents almost went on the floor as she realized that Viral had appeared next to her, helping himself to some tea. He rarely drank anything stronger than that due to his heightened senses.

"My sister and I went shopping yesterday, and I thought it was nice. Change can be good sometimes."

Most of the raw emotion from the trip gone, Anne looked up at him, giving him a hint of the smile he was used to seeing on her face. It obviously caught him off guard, and she noticed the box that he was holding under an arm, managing to make his tea single-handedly.

"What's that?"

She had no idea that Viral could turn that shade of red, and it was a struggle not to burst out laughing at the slightly sheepish look that came over him. To his credit, he recovered quickly, pulling the box out from under his arm and all but thrusting it at her, forcing her to put her cup down.

"I have no idea what the hell I did to upset you on the trip home, but I'm sorry. Things have been..."

"Awkward between us, I know. I'm sorry too," she finished, finally noticing the slight movement within the box.

Slipping a freshly manicured nail into the lid of the box, she lifted it slowly, and could have cared less who saw the look of pure pleasure that came over her face. Nestled in small scraps of fabric was a baby mole-pig, a ruddy brown color with a small bow tied around its tail.

"Viral..." she said, craddling the box in one arm as she reached in and nuzzled the tiny creature.

"She's a descendent of Boota, Simon's mole-pig."

"I know who Boota is, silly. Oh, Viral, you complete sweetheart."

And with that, Anne leaned in his direction and pressed her lips to his cheek before she realized what she was doing. A soft gasp from some woman in the room brought her back to her senses even while they were still fully engaged in what had happened. That inviting musky scent of his lingered, mixed with the scent of some type of soap. She'd obviously caught him off guard, Viral's fingers covering the light pink kiss stain that now adorned his cheek. Part of her wanted to reach up and wipe it off, but even if she'd wanted to, his large hand now completely covered it as they stared at each other. Her lips parted to speak, but it took a moment before she could get the words out.

"Umm...thank you, Viral. Thank you."

It was only as she grabbed her cup and made her way to her seat near the head of the table did she realize what she likely would have done if her hands hadn't been full. Only the wide mouth of the coffee cup prevented the worse of her blush from being seen by those around her. Still, she wasn't that surprised...

_"Not surprised at all," Kinian had told her once Kittan had been kicked from Anne's small apartment. "You followed him around like a lost puppy when you were younger, and you never really showed any actual interest in any other guys. I thought you may have just been...into beastmen, but now I see it was just Viral-sama."_

_A smirk had curled Kinian's lips, laying out on Anne's bed next to her._

_"Well, if I was going to go that route, I'd have gone after him too. He does make that beast nature of his a sort of charm."_

_Anne giggled a little, the sobs having subsided after the stoic manner in which she'd taken her brother's criticism. But it was so much more than Viral's physical appearance. She knew that if Viral had been human, she'd have fallen for him just as hard. But he wasn't...and therein was the problem..._

Her eyes flickered up from her cup, watching Viral take his seat across from her as discretely as she could. More than a few eyes were on her as the rest of the council filtered in, and she pointedly ignored the burn of Kittan's eyes from his position much further down the table. The kiss mark was still on his face, but he quickly snatched the fabric napkin off the table and wiped it off. Just as she was telling herself that it didn't matter.

"All rise."

Her mask broke for just a moment as she watched Viral take the napkin and, with everyone's attention on Rossiu's entrance into the room, slip the pink stained white fabric into his coat pocket.

She could hope...at least a little.

* * *

Well, it had worked. Now he could understand the incessant gifting of flowers and trinkets that kept the number of flower and jewelry shops at such a high level. Even so, he hadn't thought it would work quite that well. It had taken a bit of work to hunt down the breeder who was making a rather substantial living off the beloved pig-mole's offspring, but he'd done it. The price he'd paid was more than worth that moment. They all took their seats as Rossiu took his, and he hid the satisfied smirk behind a hand as the talking started. He still wasn't sure why he'd felt compelled to keep the napkin, but it had felt right. For the moment, it seemed that things were calming down from the whirlwind of insanity that had been the past few weeks. It would undoubtedly pick up again, but he would be able to handle it, so long as she was there.

"Anne, you will help to coordinate the defense force between the Spiral beings."

Viral's attention went to her and her attention went to Rossiu.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that you will be working with the other military forces to set up a strategy..."

"You are not sticking me behind another desk, Rossiu," she said, standing up and putting the box on the table. "You...hell, Earth needs me piloting Gurren Lagann."

"There are others..."

"Don't give me that bullshit. I am the best damn chance that we have, and while I do not have the extensive experience running drills and fighting imaginary foes, I do have the power, and I intend to use it."

Rossiu opened his mouth and she slammed her hand on the table, a squeal erupting from the box.

"Don't you dare argue with me. I don't want to bring up the past, but I will. I'm not a diplomat, and the only reason I've been tolerating that Ambassador job you shoved down my throat is because I wanted to serve Earth the best way I could. Right now, I need to be in that Ganmen, and ever person here at this table knows it."

"Anne, please calm yourself," Kittan said.

"You shut up. There's a reason you are at that end of the table and not here." The man turned red, the fury evident as she turned her attention back to the president of Earth. "I am piloting Gurren Lagann, and you can find someone else to take care of the paperwork this time around."

With that, she all but snatched the box off the table and stormed out the meeting room, her heels clicking steadily as she left. Viral watched the door slam behind her before getting up as well.

"I suggest you listen to the woman," he told Rossiu, a glimmer in his eyes. Anne...his Anne was back. He couldn't help but smirk to himself as he followed her out, beaming with a certain sense of pride at the outrage that erupted behind him once the door was closed.


	8. Pride and Prejudice

_AN: Guess who is back in business. My block is gone, my time is free, and I'm putting the pen to the paper. Or the keys to the board. Whichever works. This chapter is dedicated to Soari. The review that woke me up. Thank you all for your constant attention and support. This wouldn't be worth doing if it weren't for you guys!_

* * *

It took her some time before she realized that he was behind her, his footsteps echoing through the hallway at a slightly slower pace than her own. She was still just too furious, although she certainly wasn't surprised. What the hell was Rossiu thinking? She didn't want to point out that he'd made the same mistake the last time the Anti-Spiral began their attack. Only the older members of the Council could recall that particular event, and only those within the inner circle of Team Dai-Gurren recalled the true details of what happened during that crisis. Simon, bless his heart, didn't reveal just how ugly those days were in order for the people of Earth to retain some form of trust in Rossiu and the government. Being the daughter of Dayakka and Kiyoh had its advantages...

"I still cannot believe he had the nerve to open his mouth," she murmured, clutching the box a little closer, recalling her brother's unsolicited advice. "Telling me to calm down after that atrocious display yesterday. He has some nerve."

Her words softened as she noticed the wet, small nose of the mole pig trying to poke through the box. A smile formed in her face slowly, distracting her from her current issues and reminding her again of Viral.

She stopped her progress, glancing over her shoulder at Viral's approaching form as he finally fell into step beside her. He hadn't been that far behind, and yet, hadn't said a word about her blow up at the Council. Even so, the smirk on his face told her all she really needed to know at the moment.

"Well, if I'm lucky, Rossiu will decide someone else can be Ambassador from now own," she told him, lifting up a corner of the lid on the box and sticking her pointer finger inside, finding herself rewarded with the affectionate nuzzle of her new pet.

"Oh."

The look on his face only confirmed to her her earlier suspicions. It so mirrored the look on his face when she'd walked away from him after arriving back on Earth.

"I'd likely get myself signed on as the primary pilot of Gurren Lagann though. Where he goes, I need to go. They'll just have to find someone else to sit in those stuffy conference rooms all day, hmm? Maybe I'll drop by and sneak you some treats while you're on duty."

She wondered if Viral knew just how readable his face was. He raised his hand, placing it lightly on her head, and she resisted the urge to let out a sigh or shake her head to dislodge the clawed appendage.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he muttered as they continued to walk out together, the guards at the door only sparing an odd glance at the unlikely duo.

Well, she definitely would. Anne took the moment to secure the lid on the box as he finally let his hand slip off her head. His fingers trailed for a moment in her hair, drawing forth a small shudder which started at the base of her spine and trailed right up to her shoulders.

"Anne?" he said questioningly. "Are you cold?"

"Yes," she lied, and couldn't help but smile as she was rewarded with his arm awkwardly slipping around her shoulders and holding her closer as they walked to the Ganmen bay.

* * *

Viral glared at the guard in front of them as the man struggled to decide what was more important: obeying his orders or his well being. Anne's touch undoubtedly brought his mind back from the plethora of ways he could actually make the guard move so they could continue on to Gurren Lagann. Slowly, he loosened his grip on the man's mostly decorative collar, letting the human's feet touch the ground once more.

"It's not worth it. At least not right now. It's not like anyone else can pilot it since I've got the core drill."

She pressed her hand against her chest where the drill hummed gently, reacting to the closeness of Gurren Lagann and her own abundant Spiral Energy. For the moment, the Ganmen was as tied to her as she was to it. While others could pilot it, she was the one who could pull the most out of it, and everyone knew it. Viral looked over her face, trying to determine just what she was thinking. After her display at the Council, he was more than a little confused at how she could just roll over about this matter.

"Thank you so much for understanding, Ms. Rittona," the guard stammered, bowing repeatedly.

"I didn't say anything about understanding," she quickly responded. Cherise, the mole-pig, sat carefully perched on her shoulder as Anne had gotten tired of carrying the box around. The fabric that had been in the box was now in her purse just in case the little creature got too cold. Anne turned her attention to Cherise, accepting an affectionate nuzzle before returning her cool stare to the guard. "The next time you see your superiors...or better yet, Rossiu himself, tell him that if he wants Gurren Lagann's core drill, he can come over and get it himself."

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel, a hand cradling Cherise to ensure that she stayed on her lofty seat, and made her way out of the compound.

Viral lingered a moment, his heavier steps not starting until after she had already made her way past the gated entry, following Anne back out the way they'd come in. The guard there nodded briefly in acknowledgment, a slight shrug following the gesture. It was good to know that there were some here who understood where she really belonged.

"So...are we planning anything in particular or are you just going to wing it?" he asked, making use of his long legs to catch up to her in a few strides as she stood by the side of the street, her hand lifted to hail a taxi. While the walk to the holding bay for the ganmen had been relatively short, she obviously had another destination in mind.

"They are going to come to me sooner or later," she said, her voice a little softer amidst the noise and bustle of the street. "It may be to yell, to punish, to cave in if they're smart. But they'll come to me, and so I can wait until then. But I'll be damned if I'm going to be put on the back burner this time around. I am beyond sick and tired of being confined to a desk when my heart longs to be in the stars, on the battlefield, protecting and fighting with those I cherish most."

Well, if nothing else, Anne was determined. It was a battle of the wills which seemed all too familiar to him at this point. Maybe it was just a human thing...

A taxi finally pulled up and Anne flung open the door, moving to the seat on the far side of the car so that Viral could move in as well without having to walk around to the other side of the car.

"Hello there, Ms. Rittona," the driver said. "Where would you like me to take you?"

"To my flat, if you could. The quicker, the better."

"I know some shortcuts," he replied as he pulled away from the curb.

Anne's mouth curved slightly as a gentle smile took its place on her face, and Viral really wondered just what she had planned, if anything. He would be so fortunate to end up with another impulsive partner for this threat that now faced earth.

Partner, huh? The thought repeated itself in his mind as he leaned against the door of the cab, resting his chin in the center of his palm as his hand cradled his face. He glanced over at Anne where she sat, her attention mostly on the streets as they slipped through the sideroads on their way to her place. Had he ever really had a partner of his own choosing before? From the four generals of Lordgenome to even Simon...most of those people he'd spent time with or under had been a matter of circumstance or convenience. But Anne was, as she ever seemed to be, different. He genuinely wanted to stand with her in the midst of this battle, and the fact that he did came as quite the realization. For once, Viral actually felt like he was in control of something in his own life and not being dragged along.

His position shifted a bit and he sat up straight, looked at his hands, flexing his claws a little. It was a small victory, but a victory all the same. Glancing over at Anne, he managed to catch her eyes as she turned back around. He grinned at her, a representation of his own individuality in a way he never realized he'd needed. With this immortal body, he would do what he could to make sure that she, and therefore, the Spiral beings, would make it out of this new battle.

Viral reached out, stroking the small mole pig with a finger, and only once his hand was there did he notice how close he was to Anne. Without really even thinking of it, his hand shifted to her cheek, stroking it lightly.

"I'm sure everything will work itself out. You humans are too stubborn to just roll over and die."

...humans...

Slowly, he pulled his hand back, remembering the meeting he'd had with Leron when they'd come home. He'd put the entire affair out of his mind as of late. What if he was turning human...or some odd hybrid between the two? What if he was no longer immortal? What a blessing that would be, to finally be able to rest... But if that meant he could no longer protect Anne...

He saw the worry in her eyes and tried to restore his face back to its usual stoic appearance. It was obviously too late as Anne reached over, placing her hand on his and gripping it gently.

"If you ever need to talk, Viral...about anything...I'm here for you. Ok?" Her blue eyes gazed up into his own, holding them steadily. His other hand hesitated, twitching a moment before lifting and covering her own, his grip tightening until she thought his claws would break her skin.

"Thank you, Anne," he said softly. "I...thank you."

The silence was beyond awkward, and when silence reigned, her mind raced. Anne stood in the kitchen, leaning against the cabinets as she stared at the stove, waiting for the water to finish boiling. Cherise was tucked safely away in a large box, complete with blankets, food and newspaper. The little dear had all but passed out once they had arrived home.

* * *

Anne raised her hand up to look at it once more, the small indentations where Viral's claws had dug lightly into her skin slowly fading away. While she wanted to simply drink in the memories of him touching her, such musing could wait. Something was bothering Viral, and that bothered her. There had been times when she'd seen him flustered, certainly, but this had been the first time she'd really sensed any sort of weakness in him. He'd clung to her like a child that needed reassuring the entire ride home. And all she wanted to do was go back into the living room, sit down next to him, wraps her arms around him and tell him that it would be ok. The only thing that really stopped her was the fact that she had no idea how he would react. Would he let her comfort him or push her away? Anne was so terrified of the latter that she could not risk the reward of the former.

The shrill sound of the teapot erupting snapped her out of her own mind, and she all but rushed across the small space to take the kettle off, letting it cool for a few minutes before she poured the water into the teapot she'd already made up. The tea was mostly for her; a single mint leaf in another cup was all Viral usually had. Anne sat there for a moment, watching the steam curl up from the cups before she finally picked up the tray and went back into the living room.

He hadn't moved. Elbows on his knees, hands folded together, back hunched over as he stared into the ground. Anne moved to sit down the tray on the small table in front of the couch where he sat. Viral didn't so much as look up. She stood there a moment, looking at him and wanting to do something.

Smoothing her dress, she knelt down in front of him, placing herself into his would be line of sight. Still, his eyes were focused elsewhere. What on earth could have pulled him so far away from reality that he would no longer even see her... This man who hunted and killed with his bare hands, who had flown with Simon and fought Kamina...

Anne reached up, taking his face in her hands. He jumped slightly, and she had to hold his face firmly to keep him from pulling away.

"Viral, talk to me...please. I can't stand seeing you like this. What's wrong?"

His eyes shifted downward, but he didn't move. Why wouldn't he look at her? Why? He looked so vulnerable. Anne sat up, moving slowly, her face drawing closer to his. She wasn't sure what bothered her more, his mood or his refusal to look at her. Could that be all she needed to be happy?

"Just look at me," she heard herself murmur. Viral's gaze shot up towards her, his eyes widening slightly at her closeness. He was so close...

Her front door slammed open, and even her ears could tell that there was damage done to her entrance. As heavy footsteps clomped up her short hallway, Anne managed to drop her hands and rise to her feet just in time to meet her brother and Rossiu, and it was quite clear who had instigated this particular invasion.

"Kittan." Her voice was sharp, and she crossed her arms in order to keep from clenching her fists in irritation. Of all the damned times to come barging in here unannounced!

Her brother shot his dark eyes towards Viral, and Anne felt more than saw the Beastman rise to his feet. Kittan looked back at her, his face clouding over as a sneer formed on his face, the mood of the room drastically shifting as Anne felt a chill wash over her.

"Did this mongrel," a finger jab in Viral's direction adding more vehemence to his voice than she thought possible, "have something to do with that horrid little display at the Council this morning, Anne? Do you understand the disrespect you displayed, the break in protocol. How dare you tell the Council...the President what he will do. You are a public servant, so start serving the public and stop following after this misbegotten mutt like a..."

"Don't speak about Viral that way," Anne warned, her voice low and steady. The chill had been replaced with a burning energy, and she felt her stomach rolling as her anger bubbled.

"Then answer the question, Anne. Is he the one pulling your strings behind all this?"

"You, above all people, should know the sins of the past must _not_ be repeated. Not when so much is at stake. Not when the Anti-Spiral are trying to force us back into a life of submission, Kittan." Her hands started to gesture wildly. "They don't care who they have to kill or how many are sacrificed in the battle. They only want what they have always wanted."

"They're Spiral beings like us, so I'm sure that if we sit down and speak with them..."

"Do you hear yourself?" Anne gasped, her frustration growing.

"Rossiu should understand more than any of us exactly what we're going up against," Viral said, his voice not even hinting at his earlier mood.

At least the man had the good grace to blush and look at least a little uncomfortable at the situation. Anne turned her eyes back on Kittan, who did not look like he understood anything at all.

"You weren't there. You didn't hear them. See them. Feel the sheer lack of emotion emanating from them. Whatever humanity they once had, they surrendered when they decided that we were still a threat to the universe."

"And you would know enough about surrendering your humanity, wouldn't you, Anne?" Kittan said, taking a few steps forward.

"Don't make this personal, Kittan. You know that this has nothing to do with..."

"Doesn't it?" he asked. "Isn't this beast the one who has convinced you that fighting is the only option. Even if it is, who are you to decide who pilots Gurren Lagann? That is a decision for the Council."

"The Council decided that when it gave me this drill," Anne almost snarled, placing a hand over her breast before she thought about it. "You and the entire Council would be a bunch of fools to take it from me now. No one else has piloted Gurren Lagann since I came of age. No one. How the hell do you expect to train someone to take over when we're on the eve of war?"

"Intensive training..."

"Will not make up for the God-given Spiral Energy I have coursing through my body. Viral and I are piloting Gurren Lagann, and I refuse to even consider otherwise."

"I swear, Anne, if you are letting your feelings for this pitiful attempt at a man..."

The slap came harder and quicker than Kittan could have imagined. He flew to the side, only barely managing to catch himself from hitting the wall of the hallway. Scratches were on his cheek from where her rings had been dragged through his skin with the force of her backhand. Before he could fully recover, Anne crossed the short distance between them, her face close enough to see the droplets of blood forming on his skin and knowing that his delicate features would bruise.

"Leave, and I don't want you so much as speaking to me until you've learned to control that damned mouth of yours and whatever disgusting prejudices and problems you have. If you want to talk business, then talk business." She dug a manicure nail deep into the tender flesh between his collarbone. "Keep your problems with me with me, you understand. Kinian may care enough about your political career to spare you the beating you've earned over the past few days, but I sure as hell don't. If you want to make this personal, I will kindly return the favor. Good luck explaining that to the Council in order to hide your beloved sister's 'problem.'"

Without waiting for a response, she went to the doorway, standing there, turning her vehemence on Rossiu.

"You keep this dog on his leash, or I will do it for you, President," she told him. "And I expect someone to be here to replace my door within the hour. This...discussion...is over."

At least he had the good sense to grab her brother and drag him through the door. Her breath came in quick shallow gulps of air, and she was afraid to move because with all of the frustration and energy gone, she was horrified to realize she was almost on the verge of tears at this entire affair. Anne stood there, listening to the footsteps fade and waited until the sound of the entrance door let her know they were gone. Only then did she let her knees give way.

* * *

Viral caught her before she hit the ground, holding her body against his and horrified at how limp she was. What the hell just happened? He knew enough from the body language and speech to tell that there were some deep issues between Anne and her brother, but what did any of it have to do with him. He'd never been particularly fond of either of Anne's siblings, but neither one had spent as much time with them as she did. Between that and Viral's own natural inclination to avoid bonds of any sort, he couldn't fathom why the animosity. Did her brother think that Viral was controlling her somehow, or influencing her? Her feelings for him...what had Kittan meant by that? Anne had feelings for him? She didn't deny it.

He looked down at her, her eyes hooded as her breathing slowed and deepened, the flush on her cheeks not seeming to fade. Anne hadn't really moved since he'd wrapped his arms around her. She just sat there, almost like a little doll. He hated seeing her this fragile...hated it.

"Come on, Anne," he said softly. "The tea is getting cold. A cup will calm you down some."

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before standing up, her hands on his chest to help her gain her balance as she nodded.

"Yes, it will."

Anne didn't look at him as he followed her back into the living room, sitting down as she poured a cup, curls of steam rising from the dark liquid as she dropped in a sugar cube into the liquid. Viral poured water into his own cup, staring at the mint leaf as it swirled around, the water absorbing some of the green color as the scent focused him.

"Anne...what was that all about?"

The spoon made soft tinkling noises, somehow making the atmosphere even more tense. It sounded as though something was teetering on an edge...ready to fall and shatter at any moment. That crucial moment where you either caught your prey or watched it escape. He waited.

"I won't tell you," she finally said.

Viral could almost hear the wings as that bird flew away, evading his grasp.

"But I will someday," she continued, her voice softening, something lingering in it that he could not quite name. "I promise you that, Viral. I will have to at some point. So I ask you, please don't ask me again. When I am ready, and when I can deal with it, I will tell you."

Her eyes shone when she looked up at him, and he could smell the tears that had yet to fall. He would not be the one to midwife them, so all of his questions would just have to wait. At least he wasn't in a funk anymore.


	9. Broken Wings

_I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I'll make it up to you guys the next update. Enjoy!_

* * *

She almost fell when she got out of bed, but at least she was prepared for it this time. Her body was drenched in sweat, and she was desperate for a shower and a bath, but did not know if she could handle them. Anne's sole goal this trip was to make it to the bathroom and then back to her bed to rest before she tried to make herself some rice porridge. Unfortunately, the last two attempts had been just that. The only things she'd been able to eat were some yogurt and bread. There was little else in the house that didn't need to be prepared or that required extensive chewing.

Whatever she had managed to contract had started to manifest itself early the next day after that…fiasco with Kittan. Viral had sat with her in comfortable silence for some time before finally excusing himself for the night. She'd woken up the next day with a headache and a soreness that she knew was disease-born. But it was when she had tried to race to the store to deal with it sooner rather than later that Anne discovered the siege on her home and life. Guards posted outside her door with instructions to restrain her by force if she tried to leave; her phone and digital lines cut off; an additional set of guards downstairs patrolling the area outside her window.

So, Anne was sick, growing weaker by the day, and mad at the world. She was furious with Kittan, because there was not a doubt in her mind that this entire affair was his idea. She was moderately disappointed in Rossiu for his lack of backbone in this entire affair. But most of all, she was heartsick at the fact that Viral had not come to check on her during all this time.

This was the fourth day since she'd last gone outside, and while she was finally starting to feel her cold breakup, it did not take away from the fact that she should have been taking meds and feeding her body better than this. Anne was miserable and still recovering emotionally, and her body was about as upset with her as she was with everything else in her life.

Her only consolation in any of this was the constant companionship of Cherise, and even then Anne refused to handle her too much for fear that the little one would catch whatever dreadful thing she had caught herself.

"I can't believe this," she muttered, returning from the restroom, a cool towel on the back of her neck. "Worst week ever…"

The gentle snuffling of Cherise on her bed forced Anne's lips to shut, remembering the good moments that did happen. She wasn't entirely sure that the good made up for the bad just yet, but at least she couldn't call it a total loss. She stroked Cherise's back with her fingertip, the still small mole pig gaining size and weight rapidly.

"At least you're here with me…" the statement ending in a small coughing fit as she finally worked her way back into the soft fold her of satin sheets, burying her face in the pillow. As it died down, leaving her throat worse for wear, Anne curled up into a ball, the position slightly relieving the ache on her body. Her hand clasped the drill core that hung around her neck. If Rossiu and the others did get ballsy and decided to come in and search for it, they'd have to take it from her body. She hoped it wasn't cold and dead.

"Viral…where the hell are you?"

* * *

Wind whipping through his slightly shorter hair, Viral looked across the street from his vantage point on top of another high rise apartment building, looking at the windows he was certain were Anne's. They hadn't opened at all today, which was odd for someone who enjoyed natural light and sun so much. Something was wrong more than the obvious guards now stationed at all the possible entrances of the apartment building. All but the roof entrance which he was about to make his way to shortly. Humans were so predictably short sighted at times.

Viral crouched down, gauging the distance between the ledge he was currently perched on and the one at the building he was facing. He could definitely make it, but he wondered at the cost. His hand stretched out before him, flexing his fingers as he had been doing for the past couple of days. While he hoped the odd stiff sensation of his fingers was nothing, Viral kept replaying his visit with Leeron. He was changing into heavens knew what, and every rational thought in his head told him this was a result of the change. Right now, he didn't question whether he could make the leaps needed to get to Anne; he wondered about in what condition he would make it there.

He'd risk it. He was sure something was wrong with Anne.

With a move full of feline grace, Viral stood up and strode to the other side of the ledge, refusing to think about the worst case scenario if this jump or any of the ones after it did not go as planned. The tension in his body unleashed as he started to sprint across the rooftop, launching himself across the few yards between him and the next building, tucking his body into a roll to soften the impact as he grunted, feeling the bruises form even as he stood up, using the momentum to bound to the next roof.

Finally, he stood on top of Anne's building, a few aches forming, but he didn't feel too much worse for wear. That was until he went to look over the edge and realized that his left arm wasn't moving. He picked up the dangling limb with his right arm, snarling a little at the pain before forcing the arm back into its socket without thinking about it. He would worry about stabilizing his arm when he had some material to do so with. One arm was more than enough to finish his trip. Viral usually enjoyed the small balcony of Anne's apartment just to get into the air outside, but the outdoor area would serve a different function today. One by one, he swung with his right arm down one balcony to the next, swinging into the enclosures to keep from falling down the twelve or so stories to what would undoubtedly be his death. But in the grand scheme of things, a tumble that far was a rather small thing to worry about.

He stopped on the balcony he'd just landed on, sniffing the air and looking at the soft blue curtains to make sure he was at the right place. His nose crinkled a little as he realized what was wrong with Anne at the same time he confirmed he was at her door. She was sick. Really sick. And the bastards obviously didn't know or didn't care. The door was slightly cracked, enough to let in a breeze.

"Anne?" he asked as he pushed open the door. The curtains rustled in his ears, and he pushed through them, ripping a bit of fabric off and wrapping it around his face as the scent of disease reached his senses. A ripple of fear went through him as he rushed towards her room, opening the door.

"Anne!"

She opened her eyes, looking up at him, and the red tinge in them was far from healthy. She struggled to sit up, coughing violently as he made his way over to her side, sitting n the bed as he put the back of his good hand to her forehead. She was burning up.

"I knew you'd come," she murmured when her fit was over, her voice raspy. "What took so long?"

There would be time for talking later. He had to get her out of her, and do it without bringing down the military onto their heads.

"We need to get you to Leeron. At least I know he'll keep his mouth shut about treating you," Viral told her as he pushed back a shudder at dealing with the man again.

He opened up her closet door and found a clean robe, bringing it over to the bed and helping her sit up. She looked so weak…

"Just hold on, Anne. I'll get you some help."

She managed a soft smile, Cherise popping out from the sheets and shoving herself under Anne's hand. Her body was drenched in sweat, but Viral wasn't thinking about trying to get her clean before he got her out of here. The robe went over her clothing, Cherise went into her box and both of them ended up in Viral's arms as he carried her into the living room, setting her down on the couch as he thought about an exit strategy.

"The guards," she whispered.

"What?"

"The guards….rotate shifts. Stairwell empty. Backdoor…"

He stroked her hair as she fell into another coughing fit. It had been brief, but enough for him to get an idea. When the guards changed shifts, the stairwell would be empty. He figured that the guards would exchange at her door rather than risk living it unguarded. That meant that whoever came upstairs would leave an empty stairwell behind them. She obviously thought the backdoor to the complex was their best bet, but the question was how to get to the stairs. A twinge of pain in his arm brought him back to the moment, and he walked over to the curtains, ripping another long strip from them and making a quick sling for his arm. He spared a glance at Anne, who was shaking her head slightly, a smile dancing across her lips enough to let him know she was still with him.

"Anne? How friendly are you with the people that live below you?"

* * *

The trip out the balcony and into the apartment below her was one she only remembered in movement and feelings. The warmth of Viral's arms around her, his scent, Cherise's soft snuffling, muffled sounds that she knew were talking. She wanted to wake up, to do something to assist in her escape. But her eyelids were heavy, her body limp against his, and it was all she could do to make sure she held onto him as he raced down the stairs.

A breeze sends a chill through her sweat soaked brow, and Anne knew they had made it outside. She must have passed out again soon thereafter because the next thing she knew, she was waking up in a hospital bed with Leeron and Viral standing over her. She opened her mouth to speak and started hacking away again.

"You should keep that pretty mouth of yours shut. At least for now," Leeron said, considering her with his hand under his chin. The look on his face let her know how serious the situation was. Viral looked particularly concerned.

"How bad is it?" she rasped, ignoring the previous instructions. She had to know what was going on with her.

"Well, the worst of the ordeal is over, thankfully. You had a particularly nasty case of Beta flu. The fact that you got through it without losing a lung is beyond me. Good genes, I suppose. You just need to stay in bed and get rehydrated and fed. You've lost quite a few pounds sweating away in that prison of yours. Good thing Viral decided to go play fetch, hmm?"

Viral snarled slightly before letting out his frustration in a sigh.

"So, she will be ok?"

"If she hasn't died yet, she certainly won't now."

Trust Leeron to be positively reassuring.

"And don't worry. Not a soul will know you are or were here. But we need to get this arm of yours looked at, Viral. Who knew you could be so fragile…"

They walked off, leaving her there in her bed, and she felt Cherise hop onto the pillow, making her way down into the space between her shoulder and neck, and curl up there. Anne managed to reach up and stroke the little dear, grateful to have someone close by. She hoped that Viral hadn't gotten too hurt rescuing her. She wondered how long it would take them to realize she was gone. Where was her sister at right now? Did her parents know about any of this? Before she knew it, she had wondered herself right back to sleep.

When Anne awoke, it took her a moment to remember where she was. The comfortable weight of Cherise on her chest was familiar, but when her hand felt unusually heavy, she felt a bit concerned. That was until she looked over at it and saw what was weighing it down. Viral's hand was on top of hers, the heaviness coming from the fact that he was knocked out in a chair besides her bed, snoring slightly. She couldn't help but smile, wondering if he'd gotten any sleep at all. She wondered how long she'd been asleep. Ah well, there was plenty of time for answers later. Slowly, she rotated her hand in his, trying not to wake him up as she adjusted her hand to place her palm against his. When his eyes snapped open, Anne squeezed his hand, letting her know she was there.

"Thanks for coming to get me," she said, hearing how clear her voice was. She smiled, thankful for whatever Leeron had put into the IV. She'd sit up and see how she felt, but she didn't want to disturb the little mole pig.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," he yawned. "I thought you just wanted some space after whatever happened last time."

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. With simple survival on her mind the past few days, she'd completely forgotten about the catalyst in the first place and that awkward moment with Viral after it was all over. He obviously hadn't. Heavens knew that she wanted to tell him and get this problem at least out in the open. The timing just seemed…

Sirens erupted in her room, and she snatched her hand from his, covering her ears as Cherise jumped up and started squealing away. Anne could only imagine how loud the sound was to her. Leeron ran into the room, a look of panic on his face.

"They're here."

Her heart sunk for a moment before she took a deep breath and reached over, gently pulling the IV from her arm as she sat up.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Exactly what you think I'm doing," she replied. "I haven't been fighting to keep this core just so I can sit around and do nothing while the Anti-Spiral attack. I'm going to be out there, piloting Gurren Lagann."

Viral stood up, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sure you're well enough?"

The concern in his eyes and voice were sincere enough, but she shrugged his hands off, responsibility taking over as her primary focus.

"It doesn't matter if I am or if I'm not. You're not going to keep me here. So you can either come with me or get out of my way. Leeron, do you have any old military uniforms sitting around here?"

Leeron looked back and forth from Anne to Viral, ultimately looking to Anne.

"Down the hall, there's a corridor. All the laundry is kept in there. There should be some uniforms hanging up in one of the lockers. Just grab one. Best of luck, love!"

She smiled at the man, not waiting to see what Viral was going to do. Anne already knew what she had to achieve. Stretching once and noticing that most of her aches were a faint memory, she smiled as she raced down the corridor, only vaguely aware that the back of her gown was wide open for all the world to see.

* * *

"A moment, Viral."

He had just started to go after her when Leeron grabbed his arm. A snarl was starting to form when he saw the serious look on the scientists face.

"What is it?"

"The discussion we had last night. Hopefully you haven't forgotten it."

Viral had been trying to, but the rational part of him knew the information would probably save his life someday.

"I got it. I'll be careful."

"Please do. Your medical files are long enough as it is. I don't want to have to start an bookshelf just for you in my office."

"Trust me, I plan on seeing as little of you as possible."

Leeron let go of Viral's arm, considering him. Viral could see the analysis running through his mind again.

"Then we both know that means no more stunts like yesterday. You've got enough…well, old you to compensate this time, but I have no idea how long that will last."

"Is that all?" Viral snapped. He really had been trying to push all of this to the back of his mind, hating to think through the ultimate conclusions they may have. This entire situation was just wrong. Wrong timing, wrong place. Definitely wrong implications. He had to be strong for her.

"You'll have to tell her sooner or later, you know."

Viral glared at Leeron, the man simply looking back at him, hating how true his words were. If anyone had a right to know, it was her.

"I've got to catch up to her," he said finally. He hated how tired he sounded, and he knew it was from more than just yesterday's events.

As he started to walk out the office, Leeron cleared his throat behind him, but Viral refused to turn around and face him again.

"One more thing, love."

"What?"

"See if you can use it."

"Use what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Now is as good a time as any to put it to the test. Let me know how it goes."

The click-clack of Leeron's shoes as he walked away grated into Viral's senses as his own feet carried him towards Anne and away from him. Let him know how it goes. So he can deal with another hour filled with "Fascinating!" and "Now THAT is interesting." No thank you. But who else could he turn to? Better yet, who else did he trust? As creepy as the man is, Leeron was the only one with the expertise and history. The only one he knew would keep quiet about all of this. At least until he know just what was happening to his own body. Still, Leeron was right. Now was as good a time as ever to see if he was actually producing Spiral energy.


	10. Evolutions

Anne pulled back her ponytail, fighting the headache she felt brewing in the back of her skull as she looked into the floor length mirror in front of her. She used some of her own hair and looped it around, securing it into a style she hoped would disguise herself long enough to force her way past the guards. Part of her doubted it would take much effort to do so, seeing as how they should have bigger things to worry about than a security breach like herself.

"Anne?"

"Here, Viral. Throw something on so we can get out of here."

His footsteps grew louder as he approached, and she sat down on a bench, leaning over to act like she was tightening her boots. Leaning forward helped a little, but Anne suspected she was still very much hydrated. A glimpse in the mirror while she was getting dressed showed her how close to death she had been. She looked horrid. Dark circles under her eyes, skin hanging where it had once had full flesh beneath it, a slightly yellow tone to her complexion.

Viral came around the corner, bare-chested and buttoning the pants he'd apparently just thrown on. Anne's eyes widened for a moment, and she barely managed to stand up and head over to the bathroom in the back and grab some tissue before a thin trickle of blood escaped her nose.

"Are you ok?" she heard him call.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said nasally, her fingers pinching the flesh just below the bridge in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Hurry up and get dressed. And find me some water, please?"

She ran the faucet for a moment, wiping at her nose to make sure none of the blood was showing before taking a deep breath and leaving the washroom. Like she needed another reason to lose more bodily fluids. His timing could really….really use some improvement. It was only after looking around the corner of the entrance to make sure he was at least mostly dressed that Anne finally came out, returning to where she was sitting and picking Cherise up to stick her under her military cover. She waited for Cherise to get settled before looking over at Viral.

"Ready to do the impossible?"

"Always," he smirked before coming up beside her, his hair tucked underneath the cap he wore. Anne stood in front of him a moment, resisting the urge to tuck a loose tendril back in place. Instead, she turned towards the double doors, avoiding looking at him as she reminded herself they had bigger things to concern themselves with.

"Now, how do we get out of…"

A cloaked figure materialized before them without so much as a sound. Anne tried to remember if she had even blinked in the time it took this stranger to appear, and she felt her muscles tense as her body prepared for fight..

"I shall assist," said an all too familiar voice.

Anne had enough time to shiver before Viral put himself between her and the Anti-Spiral Emissary, the creature never moved. The shiver erupted into ice in her veins when laughter filled the otherwise quiet room, the first sign of any emotion from it, and she had a feeling none of it was a laughing matter for her.

"Even if you should want to fight, I will not engage you here," it intoned, any sign of amusement gone from its voice. "As I said, I am here to assist."

Taking a few steps out from Viral's protecting form, Anne faced the Anti-Spiral with as steady a voice as she could muster. "And why should we believe you? We certainly have no reason to trust you or anything you would offer."

"Our predecessors did not anticipate the tenacity of will that Spiral beings possess. The previous leader did not understand how to truly make you feel despair so deep that you will never rise again. However, we of the new generation do."

Anne felt her breath catch as it took a step forward, bracing herself.

"We will take ever asset, every weapon, every trump card you believe you have and crush them into oblivion. And we shall begin with Gurren Lagann. I will transport you to the Ganmen. You two shall pilot it. And then, we will destroy you and the one weapon that you believe will save you."

Before Anne could even think of a response, the Anti-Spiral began to dematerialize in front of her. It only took her a moment to realize that she, too, was disappearing, pixel by pixel.

* * *

Viral wasn't sure what to do when all three of them started to cross dimensions, but the haunting words of the Anti-Spiral echoed in his mind long after he realized he and Anne were both in the bay area for the Ganmen. True to its word, it had placed them in a corner of the bay, within sprinting distance of the mech so many had been trying to keep her away from. He looked at Anne, her face pale as she trembled slightly. If the damned creature had really wanted to best them, it would've made sure Anne never got sick in the first place. He reached out, grabbing her firmly by the upper arm and letting go when she started, looking around.

"Are you ok? It didn't do anything to you while it transported us, did it?"

She shook her head slowly, calming down although her color did not change. Her hand went up to her neck and she pulled out the drill core, soft green light pulsating from it, matching the beat of her heart. Anne gripped it firmly in one hand before looking over at him.

"I won't let them beat us," she said softly. "I can't…"

"Enough talk," Viral snapped, unsure just what was grating his nerves more at the moment. By Spiral, he hated to see her like this, unsure and vulnerable. It brought out every protective instinct in his body. A body that may not be able to protect her as well as it once did, he forced himself to remember. He had to watch his back as well as hers on this battleground.

Deafening noise filled the room as a large explosion hit nearby, forcing sprinkler systems to go off and the lights to die.

"Now," he heard Anne hiss before feeling her move past him, racing towards Gurren Lagann, the green light escaping from her hands. He followed after her, bumping into a few people who ran around in panic, not stopping to see if any damage was done. He had one goal, and one only. Anne reached it quickly, racing up the side of the large mech with ease that came from something she'd practiced since childhood. He couldn't help but smirk a bit as he heard Lagann open before getting into Gurren himself, quickly ripping off the confining jacket and hat before throwing them out to fall where they may. Anne's face popped up on the screen in front of him, and for the first time in a while, he thought he saw a hint of a smile on her face.

"Ready to kick some ass?" she asked.

"Like you had to ask."

"What the hell?"

Rossiu appeared in a corner of the screen, and he heard Anne let out a particularly nasty curse. He'd forgotten that the communication system of Gurren Lagann was also linked with those of the high command when the mech was docked on earth. Oh well.

"We're going off to save the world, so don't give me any of the red tape, political bull," Anne said. "And that is all I have to say to you."

Rossiu blinked a few times before a look that managed to be both resigned and amused at once crossed his aging face.

"Then I will say 'good luck' and sign off. Thank you, Anne. And take care of her, Viral."

A twinge of guilt managed to wedge itself into the other emotions he was dealing with, and Viral only hoped that he could continue doing just that. Rossiu disappeared, leaving only Anne to fill up his screen for a moment before he saw her throw in her drill core, feeling the mech come to life beneath him as Anne poured a seemingly impossible amount of energy into it System checks began to flash over the screen, pushing Anne to a small corner before the screen cleared, showing the outside finally. People were scrambling to get out of the way of the mech as it started to move towards the bay door. Viral put his hands on the controls, preparing himself for whatever may come, when he immediately felt the difference.

The metal hummed beneath his fingers with a deep, steady warmth. It tingled through his arms and he felt something within him respond. Leeron was undoubtedly going to have a field day with this latest tidbit. His body was definitely reacting to Anne's Spiral energy. But the real question was how to make it work to their benefit.

* * *

Her father had once told her that in the midst of battle, a true warrior pushes everything out of his mind and focuses on nothing but the task at hand, whatever that task might be. Distractions were fatal. Distractions were what kept graveyards full. Even as Anne recalled those words and knew what she had to do, the devastation before her drew memories of her first encounter with the Anti-Spirals. True despair, it had said. Anne regretted being so privileged and sheltered. Maybe then she could handle all of this a little better.

Sirens wailed as bodies sat motionless on the streets before her, buildings disappearing in clouds of smoke and ash as weapons were fired on both sides. She managed to take a breath and collect herself before launching to the skies, joining the fray that couldn't have been going on for longer than thirty minutes and had already destroyed most of the city.

"Come on, Anne," Viral said. "You've got to focus. Gurren Lagann can't work without us both in this, and you know it."

That was all it took to pull Anne out of herself and into the present. She looked around for the nearest threat and found herself staring at the same Ganmen she had faced on Kritolin. Her body tensed for a moment before it threw the first blow. Grateful for her reaction time, her hands threw up the controls, blocking the blow and countering with one of her own, throwing more of her energy into Gurren Lagann.

"Even your attempts at self-preservation only hurl the universe more quickly towards its demise."

Anne couldn't give it the satisfaction of acknowledging it, shifting one arm into the massive drill and aiming at the chest of the Ganmen. It blocked with a drill of its own, and Anne struggled to keep her mind on the fight. A sparkling of gunfire danced along the dark metal of it as other Grappearls started to enter the battle, trying to help.

"Everyone, back off!" Viral shouted, opening the com to the surrounding mechs a moment too late.

Anne felt an all too familiar energy signature as the Gurren Lagann she faced erupted into drills, taking out several of the Grappearls that surrounded it in one move. She heard herself growl as she threw Gurren Lagann at the mech, dodging the erupting drills as it removed its glasses and flung them forward, slicing several drills before embedding itself into the enemy's chest. She got within arm-s length of it and threw in an uppercut, knocking it into the air and grabbed the mech, taking it far above the airspace surround the town.

"If you thought as much about the universe as you did the conditions of those around you, you would come to the same conclusion. It is only logical."

"Screw logic!" Anne shouted as she pushed her mech upwards, throwing punch after punch, landing only a few as the mech countered one after the other. "Life isn't about logic! It's about love and sacrifice, about friends and relationships. The life you live is no life at all!"

The dashboard before her erupted into green light as she threw both arms of the mech together, merging them into one huge drill, thrusting it towards the mech, who grabbed at it, trying to stop it from reaching its target.

"I won't let you take away the things I love!" she yelled, feeding all of her emotions into Gurren Lagann, feeling it respond to her.

The drill started to glow red with the friction the Anti-Spiral Ganmen was putting on it, and Anne felt a moment of panic.

"Stay calm, Anne! Fight!"

The dashboard grew brighter as she heard the screeching destruction of the mech's hands, the drill reaching its home within the chest of the dark shadow of her own treasured Ganmen.

It just laughed, even in the midst of the waves of lightning that danced along the shell, telling of its impending demise.

"Shall we meet in space for our next encounter? If you are still willing to fight."

As the question formed in Anne's mind, the Anti-Spiral pointed towards the ground, and Anne's heart crumbled even in the midst of the explosion, close enough to rock them slightly.

"Anne? Anne! Damnit, Anne, what is it?"

Her hands fell from the controls and she only vaguely thought that she hoped Viral could land them safely. On the ground below them were the remains of Dayakkaiser.

* * *

It took Viral a few moments to recognize the Ganmen since it had been ages since the last time anyone had seen it. He'd thought it was sitting in a museum somewhere, but he realized that was probably just a replica. As soon as Gurren Lagann touched down, he heard Anne scramble out of the seat above him. He'd only managed to leave the mech himself when he saw Anne already at the husk of the Ganmen, missing both arms and one leg with multiple cracks in the heavy metal.

"Dad? Dad?"

Viral raced towards her, getting to her just in time to catch her as her knees gave way, a coughing fit shaking her in his arms.

"I'm sure he's fine," he tried to assure her.

"You don't know that, Viral! You don't, and I need to find him!"

"Anne?"

Both of them looked up to find a blood-covered Kiyoh standing just beyond the remains of a building, her arm in a sling and her silvering blond hair black from the ash that covered it. Anne broke free from his arms and he hated himself for the twinge he felt seeing her run up to her mother, but he didn't let it keep him from following closely behind. She placed a hand on her mother's good arm, Kiyoh looking exhausted.

"Where's dad? Why were you two fighting?"

"Why were we fighting?" Kiyoh asked, a slight laugh in her voice. "The same reason you were, of course."

"Then dad?"

"He's being treated over here."

Only then did the woman seem to notice Viral was nearby, and she waved him over. Together, they rounded the corner of the building where they saw a makeshift first aid tent thrown up, people running around in mostly hushed tones. Kiyoh led them inside and they headed straight to the back. Viral recognized Dayakka's green hair from where he stood, and Anne broke away from them, racing to his side, a hand grasping at his as she knelt down.

"Dad," she said softly, and Viral's heart ached at the pain in her voice.

Dayakka's eyes opened and he grimaced before smiling at her.

"Great job out there. I was wondering when you'd show up," he rasped.

"I got here as quickly as I could," she told him. Viral could smell her tears from where he stood, some space away from the family. "But you…are you ok?"

"I'll be fine, my little lady," Dayakka said affectionately, reaching up and stroking her hair.

"Fine? You call being paralyzed fine?"

All eyes turned up towards the corner of the tent where Kittan stood, arms crossed as he glared at first Anne then Viral. Viral mirrored his stance, crossing his own arms and relaxing his legs, ready to move into action if necessary. Anne's head whipped up as she looked back and forth between those gathered.

"Paralyzed?" she asked, her voice barely heard.

"Yes, you heard me," Kittan kept on. "Paralyzed."

"It's not that big of a deal," Dayakka quickly said, "and the doctors don't even know if it'll be permanent."

"But they believe it will be, so Dad will never be able to walk again."

Anne stood up, slowly letting go of her father's hand as she faced her brother.

"And you somehow want to blame me, don't you?" she snapped, her voice a low whisper. "Maybe if you hadn't locked me in my apartment and left me for dead, I would've been here sooner, and Dad wouldn't have had to fight!"

"You did what?" Kiyoh asked, her voice filling the area and drawing a few eyes.

"It was at the President's recommendation," Kittan said. At least he had the good sense to look slightly sheepish, although the look didn't last long. "An action that would not have been necessary if Anne had simply done what she was supposed to do."

"I'm supposed to fight, and you can go to hell if you think otherwise."

"I'm sure you'll beat me there," he replied, his lips curling into a snarl. "I don't doubt they have a special place for people with your inclinations!"

"Silence!"

Dayakka's voice boomed, and even Viral was shocked at the volume the usually quiet man managed in such an injured state. The feuding siblings quieted, and Viral finally noticed Kinian sitting on the ground, a bandage over an eye as her eyes flitted back and forth between everyone. Viral met her good eye for a moment, and the precocious child just shrugged as though she wasn't that surprised. He held back a chuckle.

"I don't care what problems you two might be having, but now is not the time," Kiyoh said, coming up to stand next to her husband. "Right now, your father needs your love and support. More so, Earth needs you to fight together, not each other. Nothing could be important enough to interfere with the greater goal here."

"That's because you don't know," Kittan murmured.

"Know what?" Dayakka asked wearily. "Is everything alright, Anne?"

Anne said "yes" the same time that Kittan said "no."

"Now is not the time!" she said, and Viral felt the panic as clearly as he could smell the tinge of fear coming from her.

Kittan's eyes narrowed for a moment before opening wide in understanding. He looked straight at Viral, and the smile that crossed his face was not one that he found comforting at all. It reminded him of the Anti-Spiral laugh.

"He doesn't know, does he?" he said, his shoulders shacking in silent amusement. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better."

"Kittan, shut up," Kinian finally said, her voice gritty. "Stay out of her business."

"I wish I could, but if she is really so adamant about piloting Gurren Lagann, if we Spiral beings are going to trust our freedom and future to our dear, sweet Anne, then her business is our business, don't you think?"

Kiyoh squeezed Dayakka's hand, and Viral couldn't help but realize how much this arguing was tearing at the two of them. Anne turned slightly to glance at Viral, a pained look crossing her face, and he found himself stepping towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Anne, I don't care what it is you need to tell me," he told her. "It won't change how I see you or how I feel about you. I hope you know that I am as fond of you as I would be my own child."

As the words left his mouth, he knew they were the wrong ones. He could feel the pain deepen and the hurt start to surface even before her eyes watered, the blue reflecting perfectly in their depths. Anne stood up, throwing off his hand as she reached over to grab her parents' joined hands.

"These are the only parents I want or need, Viral," she told him, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't need another father. That's not what I want from you. That's not…it's not how I want you to see me at all! Damn you, Viral…"

Just as her tears started to fall, she reached out to grab his hand as well and the drill around her neck flared green, lighting the entire tent. Viral felt Anne's energy flow over his skin the same way he'd felt it resonate when they were in Gurren Lagann. But it didn't stop there. He felt it flow into him, through his body, and everything became sharper, clearer, more vibrant in his eyes for a moment. Just as quickly, the energy left him, and he heard Dayakka gasp loudly. The man tossed in his bed for a moment, groaning as though something had happened to him. Viral tried to break away from Anne's hand, finding himself unable to and fearful for what he might have just done. Eyes flashed back and forth, looking from him to Anne to her drill to Dayakka before the light died down and the man stopped thrashing.

"Anata!" Kiyoh cried out, looking at him. "Please, say something! What happened?"

Dayakka's breathing slowed down, and he looked around for a moment as though trying to find something. With a quick moment, he threw back the covers and sat up, swinging his feet over the edge of the bed. Viral and the others watched as he tentatively put one foot on the ground, standing on one and then the other.

Anne turned to Viral, her eyes wide, and Viral couldn't even keep track of all the emotions he felt and sensed from her.

"What the hell was that?"

"That," they heard Leeron say from where he stood in the middle of the tent, "is evolution doing what it does best."

Viral started to let go of Anne's hand when he felt the world turn on its head, and he was fairly sure he heard her call his name just before he blacked out.


	11. Without You

"See, I told you that he would be coming to shortly. As amazing as that little display may be to you, I have a strong suspicion it is on the low end of the spectrum of things he is capable of triggering. Oh, where is my journal? Has anyone located it yet?"

The growl started to roll in his throat before he opened his eyes and saw Leeron looking around, Anne sitting in a chair some distance away, a look of relief on her features before she quickly stood to her feet.

"I… I wanted to make sure you were well before I left to tend to some other matters. Rest as long as you need to."

Before he could think of something to say to her, Anne left the tent, and only then did he realize he was in a different place from where he'd passed out, the tent much smaller and with enough room just for his cot and some diagnostic machines. A Beastwoman came in, a stack of papers in her hands which she gave to Leeron and then left. He flipped through them, sitting where Anne had as he pulled out a pen, crossed his legs and started writing. Viral sat up, realizing that he didn't feel any worse for wear as he swung his legs over the side of the cot and looked at the doctor.

"Are you going to explain a damned thing, or just leave me to guess?"

Leeon skritched on for another moment, the sound of pen on paper the only thing that could be heard for before he tucked the pen over an ear and looked at Viral.

"It seems that I was wrong."

Viral felt a little bit of shock, although he couldn't quite place the source of it. It could have been shock over the fact that Leeron was wrong or shock that he would go so far as admit it. It couldn't be shock over what he was wrong about since he had no Spiral-forsaken idea what that was. He tilted his head, waiting as Leeron delicately placed the papers on the seat and paced a little.

"I believed you were growing to the point where you could use your own Spiral power, but I no longer believe that to be the case. Pity, though, since it would mean wonders for your species. I'm not completely tossing out the possibility that it could someday…."

"I don't give a damn about the other Beastmen. What the hell is going on with me?"

Leeon kept stride, obviously too used to dealing with his temper by this point in their relationship.

"You've become an amplifier of sorts, love. Your body does not produce Spiral energy, but it increases the capabilities and power of that energy. While to the simple-minded it may look like you healed Dyakkah, what actually happened is that you used Anne's Spiral energy to speed up his healing process. He was never permanently paralyzed, but if he had healed the old fashioned way, the swelling on the nerves may have done more damage, making it harder for him to regain his full walking capabilities."

Viral heard himself let out a soft sigh of relief. "I'm sure Anne is glad he's fine."

"She was, but after you fell out, she insisted that she sit here until you came to. Well, after she yelled at me for a few moments for not mentioning any of this to her. I told her she could blame you."

"Great."

"I told you to tell her."

He had. Viral ran a hand through his hair as he stood up, wanting to deal with Anne. He took a moment to take in what Leeron had just told him.

"So, I'm not turning human?"

"No, that does not quite appear to be the case. I ran some tests while you were asleep, and your cell structure is changing, but it is not becoming more human or resembling the other Beastmen. It is still as unique as it has always been, but I think I have a new hypothesis about why it is slowing down. You won't like it though."

Leeron finally stopped, elbow in hand and his fingers framing his face as he waited for Viral's answer. He felt a growl in his throat as he nodded.

"Lordgenome did not account for the continuation of the Spiral presence above ground. I don't think there was much he did account for when you gave you this little present. He couldn't have known what affect this body of yours would have being in constant contact with not only the Spiral energy on Earth or that of every other Spiral being in existence.

Viral, the reason that your cell regeneration is slowing down is because of the constant exposure of Spiral energy. I looked at a sample of your cells from when you brought Anne to my facility and from while you were out a few moments ago. If I had to give you a percentage of cells that are no longer regenerating at all… it'd have to be at about 2% in various locations on your body."

"At all?"

Leeron nodded, lifting his papers to sit down once more.

"That surge of Spiral energy that you pulled from Anne and pushed into Dyakkah killed a part of you today, and that was not even intentional on either of your parts. I don't know how much your body will take from similar or more intense transfers of Spiral energy. I'm not even sure if there is anything that we can do to halt or slow it. I am sparing a small fraction of researchers to look into it. You could be the greatest weapon that the human race has to fight the Anti-Spiral. That is… if you live long enough."

Viral shuddered, only one thought in his mind which finally slid through his lips, his entire being loathe to voice it.

"So what you are telling me is that being with Anne is killing me."

"Considering the amount of Spiral energy she puts out by merely existing, yes."

* * *

She found her parents in a medical tent, her mother's bandages getting changed. She glimpsed the jagged scar crossing over her once flawless face, missing her eye by an inch or so. Kiyoh smiled at her as she walked over, her insides a tormented mess from everything that had gone on since she'd been back to earth. If she was really honest with herself, since the moment she'd come to realize that she was in love with Viral. Reaching out, she took her mother's hand, Dyakkah standing at her shoulder, looking back and forth between the two. The nurse finished the bandages and took his leave, giving them family a bit of privacy.

"I'm sure we can find some salve to put on that so it will fade a little as it finishes healing," Anne told her gently, pushing a curl of her mother's hair out of the bandages it had gotten caught in.

"I suppose I could, but I don't know if I'll bother. We all have our scars to carry, and perhaps it is just time I got one of my own. But I am more worried about you…"

"You have to tell us what is going on between you and Kittan," Dyakkah said. "And Viral. It isn't often that your mother and I feel like we have to pry, but in this case.."

Anne watched her parents look at each other before Kiyoh became teary-eyed.

"I've never seen you fight like that before," she whispered. "And he looks so much like Kittan, my brother, that I just can't stand the thought of you two like this. What is going on? Can you fix it?"

Anne laughed dryly as she let go of her mother's hand and pulled up a stool to sit down. She brought it close, forming a close triangle between them.

"The only thing I can do is to feign insanity. I don't know, maybe I have gone insane. I keep wondering myself what can come of any of this."

Her parents waited patiently, as they ever had, and she let out a long sigh. They had always been supportive, if not understanding, but she wasn't sure how they would deal with this unlikely development. Seeing disappointment in their eyes wasn't something she felt like she could handle on top of everything else. She looked at them both, wondering if she should just walk away and leave it alone. At least for now.

"Please, Annie?"

And with that childhood nickname, her heart melted. It had been years since she had let them call her that. She'd felt it was too childish, so she'd insisted they'd stopped doing so in public. But there had been those nights when one, the other, or both had snuck into her bedroom as she was falling asleep, brush back her curls, kiss her forehead and call her "Annie" when they thought she wouldn't hear. She all but collapsed into the chair, hands folded in her lap as she stared at the ground in defeat.

"The reason Kittan is so furious with me is because he believes I've lost my mind, that I'm tainted. He's so impossibly….he just can't accept the fact that I'm in love with who I am in love with."

"Who you're in love with?"

Damn his timing. Damn it all. Anne lifted her head enough to see the blue and brown eyes of her parents staring over her head as they fidgeted slightly. Kiyoh looked back down at her, their eyes meeting for a moment.

"Tell him," she said softly. "This is not the time to be keeping unnecessary secrets from each other."

"It's exactly the time to keep secrets," Anne sighed as she straightened up, sliding off the stool and looking up at Viral. "Kittan lost his mind when he found out. I wonder what you'll do, Viral. But I'm tired of hiding it and making excuses and fighting against myself, the world and the Anti-Spiral."

Part of her was surprised that she wasn't even teary-eyed at the stress she felt. Maybe she'd become accustomed to it all. She made the little space that existed between her and the Beastman disappear as she reached up and took his face in her hands.

"You, Viral. I'm in love with you, you impossible, simple, blind fool."

He was so close, and she only needed to lean in a little more. But the look of shock on his face brought her to reality and she let her hands drop. There was a quick glance over her shoulder at her parents, sympathy in her mother's eyes while her father's were unreadable.

"The next move is yours, Viral. Answer me when you want."

She couldn't bring herself to look at him as she left the medical tent, letting her feet take her back to where Gurren Lagann was docked. She climbed into the cockpit, Cherise popping out from where she'd stayed quiet for most of the day. The little creature climbed into her lap, and she stroked her skin softly, letting out a long sigh as the emotions crashed like a wave.

"If I've lost him, I've lost him," she said out loud. "I don't know what more I can do right now. I'm tired, Cherise…"

Cherise shoved her wet nose in her hand, and it brought her a little comfort. Just enough to make the rest of the pain bearable.

"It is a shame that I was not the source of your despair."

Anne's head snapped up and she looked around, her eyes finally falling on the form of the Anti-Spiral Emissary where it stood on the ground in front of the mech's docking area. People around them started to scatter, some screaming in terror and others trying in vain to shoot at it. The form was fluxing in and out of this dimension entirely too much for anything to land on it. It took her a moment to weigh the pros and the cons before she decided to get out of the mech, standing on top of it and looking down from what little advantage she had.

"Well, you did not."

"No, but we have forgotten how sentimental and emotional your kind can be."

A harsh laugh tore through Anne's throat, wondering how this being could distance itself so far from what it used to be, from what she still was.

"Well, that would explain why your predecessor's failed, and why you will as well," Anne said. "You cannot possibly understand those of us who still cling to our humanity when you have thrown it away yourself. We will defeat you again, you can be sure of that."

The Emissary stood, considering her as the sound of fire finally died off, people realizing that wasting bullets was not going to help anyone.

"Nothing is certain, except the eventuality of Spiral Nemesis."

"Anne!"

Her heart sunk into her stomach as she saw Viral standing a few yards away from the Emissary, concern on his face as he looked from one to the other.

"I'm fine," she called from her perch on top of Gurren Lagann.

The Emissary looked from one to the other. "I see."

A cold finger dragged up her spine even as Anne heard Viral speak.

"What are you talking about?"

"We have always known that to defeat the Spiral beings, we must defeat or take away their one beacon of hope – Gurren Lagann. But perhaps it has always been much simpler than that. We need only destroy the one who wields Gurren Lagann."

Both the Emissary and Viral looked over at her, and the cold seized her body as the Emissary laughed and then vanished. Her knees gave out as she sat back on her heels, realizing her temper had gotten the best of them. In her anger, she had given the Emissary plenty of ammo to accomplish just that mission.

* * *

For a brief moment, Viral wished that the Emissary was still there. He'd always done better when there was something to fight. This particular battle he now faced was not one that he was equipped for, and even if he was, he wasn't quite sure how the hell to fight. He watched Anne slide down the tarnished and worn sides of Gurren Lagann, her eyes at the ground as she approached him, and for a moment, he thought she was going to walk right past him. As she grew closer, her steps slowed, just a little, and he felt more nervous than he'd ever felt standing in front of Lordgenome.

"We have to go and talk to the Council," she said softly. "Or at least Rossiu. They need to know about this possible tactic. Especially if…if…"

Her voice caught for a moment, and Viral realized a moment too late that he was reaching out to comfort her. Anne looked up, stopping just out of arm's length as she held his gaze, her face shifting between too many emotions for him to guess at what she was feeling. His hand fell to his side and he clenched both into fists, a layer of frustration falling on him. Honestly, he still had no idea how to react. No, this wasn't the first time someone had approached him in terms of a relationship. But those people weren't Anne. He'd been struggling so long to hold onto the digger's dream that she might start to look up to him as some part of her family when she, of all people, destroyed that hope.

"Damn it, Anne," he finally said, his voice gruff and low with what his own emotions. "I don't know what to do for you. What I can do for you. Well, I do, but…I just don't know."

"Why I told to answer me when you want," she replied, a ghost of a smile on her lips. At least she found some amusement in this, but she had always managed to find something to laugh at. He let out a slight sigh of relief that she could do that much.

"What I want is to give you an answer, but I don't know if I can. Or when I can. It's not really something that I've ever thought about before."

"Obviously."

And her sense of humor was still intact. Things were fine between them, and that is what he needed to know. In her own way, she was telling him that things were fine as they were. But even he wasn't so much of an insensitive jerk as to leave her in limbo forever. She deserved an answer, and he just hoped he would be able to give it to her within her lifetime. Hell, within his lifetime.

Oh hell…

"Anne? How much did Leeron tell you?"

"Huh?" she said immediately, caught off guard by the sudden change in conversation. "About you and your changes?"

The look in her eyes changed as her stance shifted. He could smell the anger before she started to move towards him, and he admittedly had to brace himself for the jab in his chest she delivered with a finger.

"What the hell were you thinking keeping that information from me?" she fumed. "As the co-pilot of Gurren Lagann, don't you think that you should have shared that with me a little sooner rather than later? And that's just on a professional level. I would have hoped that our relationship alone would make you tell me that something like that was going on with you. I need to know these things, Viral. Don't keep me in the dark about something like that."

Her voice faded along with her anger as she stood in front of him, her arm slowing dropping to her side as he felt her shudder. She let out a sigh, and as she relaxed, she leaned forward, her head resting on his chest, her warmth flowing into him through the contact. He hesitated only a moment, and only because he wasn't sure how she would react, before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her fully against him. When her hands pressed against his back, he tilted his head down, burying his nose in her hair and taking in her scent.

He tried to imagine going beyond merely holding her, going to the lengths that she probably had in one thought or another, and he really wasn't sure how he felt about the idea. It wasn't really indifference; it just felt…well, odd was the only way he could put it. Like putting on a new shirt and not being able to tell if you just needed to wear it in or if it would never fit quite the way you wanted to. Hell, if Anne had told him that she was in love with anyone else, he could've handled that with a little more grace. At least, he thought he could have.

"Is there anything else?"

It took him a moment to come back to the moment before he could answer her. "About what's going on with me?"

She nodded slightly.

"My cellular structure is changing, and Leeron originally thought it was because I was evolving into a Spiral being, able to use my own Spiral energy."

"Originally? So what does he think now?"

He tightened his hold on her, remembering the words even as he tried to find his own.

"What I've changed into isn't a Spiral being, but a catalyst. My body can amplify the use of Spiral energy, but not create its own."

"Oh," he heard her say. "And that's how you healed Dad."

"Technically, you healed your Dad. I just kind of helped."

Another nod from Anne.

"What are you not telling me?"

Somehow, he'd known that Anne would not let him leave it at just that. He'd given up trying to figure out how he was giving stuff away.

"Viral?" Her voice grew impatient, and he hated being able to recognize the fear in it. He held her closer.

"My exposure to Spiral energy over the years has been causing my cells to stop regenerating as quickly. Using Spiral energy like that apparently slows down my cell regeneration to the point of stopping it."

Anne stood up straight, taking her arms off of him and forcing them between their bodies, pressing her palms against his chest since he wouldn't let her go. She tilted her head up, looking at him as she struggled a little against his arms.

"What do you mean? Are you saying that your body is finally starting to die? Is that it?"

"Well, if you want to see it that way."

"That is a 'yes' or 'no' question, Viral," Anne said as she hit his chest. "That's what death is. When your cells no longer regenerate and can no longer sustain your body. And it is exposure to…. Oh no…"

He'd seen it coming, and he found it a bit of an effort to keep her where she stood as she tried to push herself away from him.

"Let me go! We are always putting out Spiral energy. Always! All this time I've spent with you...every time we've piloted Gurren Lagann together."

Her voice trembled and gave way to soft sobs even as her knees did, and Viral knelt on the ground with her, the fight over for now.

"Let me go," she told him again, more of a plea than a demand. "I can't…by Spiral, Viral, I can't handle this!"

"Don't tell me what you can't do," Viral said, gripping her shoulders and shaking her once. "I never want to hear you say that again. Don't give up. Leeron has people looking into it, and I'm sure they will find some way…"

"And if they don't, Viral? If I have to watch you, day after day, wondering when your body will finally give out and knowing that I am the primary cause? How am I supposed to live with that, knowing that I am the reason you aren't around anymore?"

"By making it all count, Anne. This ain't just about you and me, you know."

A look of shock ran across her face, and through the seriousness of the situation, he couldn't keep the smirk completely off his face. It only lasted a moment though. He held her firmly.

"I'm only going to say this once to you, Anne. If I die because of Spiral energy coursing through my body, it will be in protecting you and making sure that you and Earth have a future. If I finally die by ensuring you live, then I have been willing to do that for you for some time now, Anne. I've always thought this body was a curse from Lordgenome, and it wasn't until I came to care for you that I came to think that this body might be good for something. Don't take that away from me."

He couldn't fathom the emotional burden he was putting on her, and part of him really didn't care. She'd wanted honesty, so she was going to have it. He lost track of the time that was going by before she gave one shake of her head. Her cheeks were soaked with tears although she was quiet now. He reached up to hold her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over the soft skin to dry it.

"I'll stay with you until the end, Viral," she told him, placing her hands on his. "Whatever end that may be. I'll be damned if I let you die on your own, using someone else's Spiral energy. You're mine."

Hers? The idea was so novel that he would've sat back on his heels and dropped his hands if she wasn't holding him where he was. The thought of belonging to someone, not as a servant or an object, but as a person… Well, that was something he could probably get used to.


	12. Fireworks

She felt more drained than she could ever remember feeling, and Anne could only hope desperately that the greatest surprises and problems were behind her. Somehow, the threat of the Anti-Spiral and the Spiral Nemesis seemed a small thing compared with the fact that she was killing the man she loved. Even now, there was a quiet voice in her mind, thinking of a way to leave him behind, to escape. A slightly louder voice hated the thought of leaving his side for any reason, preferring the selfish pleasure of his company at any cost. The inner dialogue was only hushed by the greater sense of responsibility that was focusing on the crisis the world was facing, and that voice kept her feet marching towards the still standing capital building.

Anne reached up to brush a bit of salt off her cheeks, the residue left from her earlier tears, before she turned to glance at Viral. She looked away before she could see his reaction, although she was no fool and knew that he had his own thoughts burdening him. A large crowd stood outside the building, the heavy glass, although cracked, still enough to keep away the banging of hands and fists that tried to get the attention of the Council, who Anne suspected was at the top of the building, doing nothing particularly important. She sighed heavily, wincing at a pain she hadn't realized was in her chest, and wondered if she'd fractured something at some point. It only took her a moment to set a new course around the angry mob, heading to the discreet side entrance that would open to her fingerprints. Even so, she was still close enough to hear the complaints and concerns of the citizens of Kamina City.

"What are they doing in there? Why aren't there more tents? Aren't we supposed to be evacuating?"

"Damned bureaucrats! Why haven't they said anything?"

While sympathetic to their cries, Anne kept her pace, the sounds growing quiet as the door opened and then closed once she and Viral were inside the stairwell. Her head tilted back, eyes taking in the spiraling staircase that seemed to disappear into the ceiling and let out another laden sigh, knowing the elevators were out of commission.

"What I wouldn't give for a pair of wings right now," she muttered.

Viral put one foot on the staircase, turning his back to her.

"Get on," he said, resignation in his voice. "It'll take us forever if I have to wait for you to climb these things."

She hesitated only a moment before she hopped on his back, her arms around his neck as she felt his arms wrap around her legs.

"Like old times, huh?" her voice said softly as she rested her head against his.

He didn't respond, so Anne simply quieted and let Viral carry her on his back up the twenty flights of stairs.

* * *

His back still held some of the warmth from Anne, and he vaguely realized it was that warmth that made the situation tolerable. Viral made no point in hiding his disgust and irritation with the squawking humans sitting at the large table, although he did notice with some amusement that Kittan was not there. Anne finally banged her fist on the table from where she stood, having refused a chair.

"What the hell?" she yelled. "Because of one attack, everything is falling apart? The plan continues, as it should. That much has not changed. We contact the nearest Spiral planets, tell them the situation on Earth. Most of them were planning to come here anywhere. Where do we stand on that?"

The blank looks that appeared on the faces of most of the Council were laughable, and Anne did just that. Viral noticed a tinge of hysteria creeping into her tone and clenched his fingers into fists to keep from going to her. Rossiu cleared his throat and stood up.

"Betelgeuse sent out an initial force some days ago, so they should be here shortly. We have not heard back from the Ulirion or Nitori representatives. Suspicions are that they have been hit as well."

At least he seemed to have regained his bearing. Viral nodded approvingly, and saw Anne relax some. But only a little, for he knew what came next.

"I have spoken with the Anti-Spiral Emissary."

That woke everyone up. Questions started flying across the table at her, the closest person grabbing her arm, which she promptly snatched back.

"Would you like to listen to what I have to say?"

The talking slowed until the room was quiet once more.

"This battle will not be like the last one, for all I've read and heard about," she said, her voice soft and intense. "The Emissary believes it understands what true despair is, and it intends to beat us on our own terms. It was the Emissary that allowed me to get to Gurren Lagann for this last bout, and it was the Emissary that told me what its tactics will be from here on out.

"The Anti-Spiral will try to destroy me, and anyone else with the potential to pilot Gurren Lagann. I am its primary target, obviously, but should I fall, those who come next in line will need to be protected. We must plan both offensive and defensive means."

Viral tried to gauge the faces around him, but most were focused on either Anne or Rossiu, and mainly in shock. Anne, however, had her eyes fixed on Rossiu. He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face, appearing to age several more years.

"You're sure that is what it said?" he asked, but sounded more tired than questioning.

"I heard it," Viral growled, speaking for the first time since entering the room. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Silence fell over the area for a moment before Rossiu pushed away from the table and began to walk around it.

"First thing is to notify the other Spiral planets of what we've learned here. Make sure that they understand how this battle will differ from previous ones we've encountered. Each representative with liaison responsibilities needs to be contacting their respective planet before the day is done. Those of you with domestic positions, I don't care what your previous role was. We're entering emergency override status, so your new job is to take into account the damage that has been done. See if any other cities on earth have been hit as well. Find temporary lodging for those who have had their homes destroyed and call in emergency medical aid from the surrounding cities that can afford to spare it."

A handful of people stood up from the table and started to file out of the room, avoiding Rossiu as they went, some light muttering under their breath.

"All of you, keep your communications open. I want to know where everyone is at all times and expect reports from you at least every four hours.

As for you, Anne…"

Rossiu finally stopped in front of them, an intimate triangle forming between the president, Viral and her. He reached out and took her hands in his, sighing a little.

"I owe you an apology for letting things get out of hand over the past week. I will be perfectly honest with you and say that I have been dreading this entire situation, fearing that I would handle it as poorly now as I did then."

Anne opened her mouth, but Rossiu silenced it with a shake of his head.

"There are only two things I need from you right now, Anne. The first is to know what we can do to protect you and your loved ones at this time. The second is your forgiveness, if you can give it to me."

"We all make mistakes," Anne said, smiling slightly. "Of course I forgive you. But you aren't the one that should be asking for my forgiveness…"

"Try to be kind to your brother, my dear," Rossiu told her. "Even if it doesn't look like he deserves it. Someone was kind to me once and saved my life in that act."

Viral nodded a little to himself, knowing exactly what and who Rossiu was talking about. He still wasn't sure whether Anne was willing to let things go with Kittan just yet, particularly based on the scowl on her face. It didn't last long, however, and Anne's shoulders relaxed as she freed a hand and ran it through her hair briefly.

"I wish there was something that I could do specifically to keep everyone locked up in a little bubble," Anne said. "But my parents… well, they were probably some of the first people on the battlefield today. Kinian is in the military, so I can't very well ask her to give up her job just to keep her safe. And Kittan…"

A finger came up to her lips, and Viral almost feared for her brother's life as a smile grew on her face.

"Keep him busy. Very busy. Make him your personal lapdog, if you like. At least I know that you'll notify me if anything happens and he decides he wants to play nice with the Anti-Spiral."

Rossiu laughed a little before trying to hide it in a cough, Anne placing her hands on her hips and looking at him more seriously.

"I may not care for him much now, but he is still my brother and my parents' child. Beyond my family, there are few that I care about who can't take care of themselves. Hell, within my family there are few who can't take care of themselves."

Viral froze for a moment as Anne looked straight at him, her eyes holding a mixture of admiration and pride. He fidgeted, not quite sure what to do, and was rewarded with a laugh from both Rossiu and her. Viral glared at both of them while Rossiu struggled to catch his breath.

"I didn't know you could look so awkward," Rossiu said, holding his chest as the laughs continued to bubble up.

"I've been learning a lot I didn't know about this one lately," Anne replied, recovering first and smiling at Viral.

"We both have, it seems," he replied.

She quickly blushed, and Rossiu looked back and forth between the two of them before his eyes widened a little.

"I know this is a personal question, but are you two…"

Viral quickly opened his mouth, his hands coming up defensively before he stopped, turning to Anne and seeing what she would say. The truth of the matter is that they weren't together in that sense, but he didn't want to act like it would never happen. Because it was possible…wasn't it?

"It's complicated," Anne said, emotion filling the two words.

He couldn't have put it any better if he'd tried.

* * *

It was the third time she'd woken up during the night, and Anne decided that she may as well give up on trying to sleep. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was doing far too much to let its fleshy exterior get the rest it desperately needed. Reaching for her robe, she was grateful that she'd been of a mind to do laundry before she passed out for those brief hours of slumber she'd managed to get. As she threw it on, she heard the soft voices of her parents coming from next door. Seemed she wasn't the only one feeling restless. They'd agreed to move into the now vacant slot next to hers so they could all keep track of each other. However, they were the only ones she'd talked into it. Kinian and Kittan preferred to live life as they had.

The door creaked slightly, mixed with the soft snuffles of Cherise as she followed Anne out of the room. Her steps halted for a moment as she tried to identify the form on her couch, quickly remembering that Viral had decided to take up residence in her small apartment. She continued on, making her way into the kitchen and deciding what she could do without turning the light on and disturbing him.

"Anne?"

His voice was deep and gruff, so she knew he'd just woken up. And she thought she was being quiet.

"I'm here, Viral," she said softly. "Go back to sleep."

"You're not trying to leave, are you?"

"No, Viral. I promised, didn't I?"

Fabric rustled, and she turned to face the sound as it came closer, seeing Viral lean against the opening of the kitchen. She could feel the intensity of his look, even if she couldn't see it herself. Cherise went to snuffle around his feet, and Anne couldn't help smiling at the relationship they seemed to be building.

"You should be sleeping," he said, coming into the room.

"Can't."

She turned around, opening the refrigerator door and grabbing the milk and chocolate syrup before pulling a glass from the cabinets. She stirred the concoction before putting everything back where it belonged and began sipping at her glass.

"Chocolate milk? Really?"

Anne almost laughed, and she had to keep the drink from coming back up as she swallowed.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Even when you were little, you'd always grab some chocolate milk when you were upset or worried about something."

She felt her cheeks color, and wondered if he could see even that.

"I do drink tea now and then as well," she told him, knowing how futile her words were.

"I don't think this is a crisis that can be calmed with tea or wine," he laughed. "At least for you."

Anne leaned her back against the countertop as she finished her drink, looking at Viral as he closed the distance that remained between them to reach over her and grab a glass himself. He shifted away from her, filling it up with tap water and downing the entire thing in a few gulps before refilling it and looking down at her.

"Sometimes, I feel like I know everything about you," he said suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "At others, I feel like I know nothing. How could I have been so blind, Anne?"

Reaching out, she rested her fingers lightly on his arm. "It's not that you were blind so much that I wasn't really aware of it myself. I'd always thought it was a childish crush I would grow out of. I never thought…"

Her words and touch dropped as she made her way around Viral just to feel his fingers wrap around her arm, the thin fabric of her robe not enough to soften his calloused hand. Her eyes had grown more accustomed to the dark, so at least now she could make out the features on his face. But as close as he was to her, she couldn't have missed them anyway. A wave of panic filled her as she realized that he was too close, and in a half-hearted move, Anne tried to pull away. His grip only tightened as he looked down at her.

"Don't run away from me, Anne. I care about you too much to let you just walk out of my life. Please."

It was the most emotion she'd ever heard in his voice, vulnerability seeping into the plea, and Anne just couldn't bear it. She threw herself into his arms, catching him off guard and causing the glass in his hand to drop to the ground and shatter.

"Anne!"

Instead of answering, she just wrapped her arms around him, trembling as she fought back tears, not caring if he treated her like a child right now. This moment wasn't about her. It was about him, and the pain and loneliness he'd been feeling.

"I've been so selfish, haven't I?" she muttered into his chest, only noticing in that moment that he didn't have a shirt on.

"No more selfish than I've been," he quickly replied.

His hand started to play with her hair, and somewhere Anne found the courage to look up into his face as he looked down at her. Quickly, before she could let the fear take over, she stood up on her toes, the action pushing her up the few inches she needed to let her lips brush his. The flow of pure energy she felt jolt her mind and body thrilled her as much as it scared her. Viral must have felt it as well because he immediately pulled back, a hand reaching up to cover his mouth as he stared back at her. Fear raced through her mind as she waited for a reaction, and it was not rejection that she was afraid of in that moment. Her heart thudded loudly as her mind fought against the image that he may just keel over in the next step her took. It wasn't until his hand fell to reveal a small smile did she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Might want to warn me the next time you do that," he muttered softly.

"I will," she replied.

So, there would be a next time. Anne had enough time to relish that thought before a loud explosion shook the building, the sky turning an unnatural orange outside her window.

* * *

He winced at the banging sound that thudded from the door as much as he did from the shard of glass he stepped on as he started to make his way out of the kitchen, still disoriented from Anne's kiss. At least she had the mind to remember the mess on the floor, stepping nimbly over them before rushing towards the door and flinging it open. He heard Dyakkah and Kiyoh panting slightly, pausing to take out the glass from his foot ,and tying a dishtowel around his foot to keep from bleeding all over the carpet.

"We wanted to make sure you were ok," her father said. "We were afraid you'd been attacked in whatever this latest mess is."

"No," Anne said, her response slow as she turned around and made her way to the balcony window, flinging the door open.

Dyakkah and Kiyoh followed behind her, both nodding slightly at him as they passed by. He took a look t his foot, and wondered slightly at the fact that the cut was already healing. He tossed the bloddied rag over his shoulder, the mess in the kitchen not worth the thought as he shifted his attention towards Anne. She coughed as smoke wafted into the room, using the curtains to cover her nose as she looked for another moment, and then quickly shut the doors. Just as quickly, she ran into her room and slammed the door, and Viral heard her flinging open doors and drawers. He grabbed his discarded shirt and pulled it on.

"What is it, Anne?" Kiyoh asked, lifting a hand to open the door to her daughter's room.

Viral had just a moment to pull Kiyoh away from it as it burst open to reveal Anne fully dressed, the core drill glowing on her chest as she reached down to pluck Cherise off the floor and place her on her shoulder.

"That explosion came from downtown," Anne said as she made her way towards the door. "Both the barracks and the capital building are down there still. I think they're targeting Kinian and Kittan."

That was all her parents needed to hear before they raced back to their room. Anne, however, kept her steps steady and focused, making her way down the stairs with a quiet purpose. And as he followed behind her, he was slightly surprised to realize just how attractive her drive made her. He couldn't completely hide the chuckle as theirs steps echoed in the stairwell as they made their way towards the only logical destination.


	13. Something Old

People were still working to put out the fires in the barracks when Anne and her small group finally made it to the remains. She looked around, the small collection of tents that had been there only a couple of days ago had expanded into a small city. Red crosses hung over the larger tents that housed the injured and large pots and kettles were set up to feed the people who now had to call this place home. Taking it all in as quickly as she could, she raced towards the nearest medical tent, flinging the flap up and nearly bowling into a rushing Beastman attendant, buckets of bloodied water in his hands.

"Sorry," she muttered, moving out of the way as she let her eyes look around the room, trying to find the telltale aqua hair of either of her siblings.

"Kinian?" she asked, almost yelling to be heard over the groans and voices.

"Next tent over" came back the response.

Anne's throat closed up, for she had been hoping not to find her in a medical tent at all. She left, looking at the expectant eyes of her parents as she worked to hold her composure, leading the way to the next tent and taking more care this time when entering it. This time, she didn't have to look too far. Kinian lay in the cot nearest the door, her face occasionally twitching in pain. But she was breathing. She wasn't dead. Anne started to step towards her when a doctor rushed past her, a syringe in hand.

"What are you…"

He ignored her completely, sticking the needle into Kinian's arm and then pressing a bit of cloth onto it to deal with the minor bleeding before turning to her.

"I'm sorry. She needs pain meds every few hours, and we were running a little late. Let me just tie this off."

Taking a bit of fabric from his pocket, he wrapped it around her arm, holding the makeshift bandage in place before taking a step back.

"She might be awake for another few minutes before the meds fully kick in. I'm sorry."

Before Anne could ask for what, he left the tent, and Anne didn't envy him his job at all today. She turned her attention back to her little sister, her parents and Viral filing into the tent and pressing against the walls to keep out of the way.

"Kinian?" Anne said softly, reaching a hand out to touch her before snatching it back. The doctor said he was giving her pain meds. She didn't want to be the cause for any of her pain. Not more than she already felt like she was.

A soft groan, and Kinian's dark blue eyes started to open. She winced once before smiling, and Anne bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

"Hey, sis," she whispered, the sound dry. "What's up?"

Anne couldn't help but laugh. "What's up? Not much. Thought I'd take a stroll. See some fireworks."

"Yeah, you should've seen it," Kinian went on. By Spiral, she looked so pale. "Entire damn building came crashing down. So many people didn't make it…"

"At least you managed to make it out," Dyakkah said. Anne couldn't turn to look at her father. His voice was breaking, and she was trying to be strong.

"Mostly, yeah."

Somehow, Kinian managed to smile as she lifted up the sheet covering her lower half, revealing the stump that had once been her leg. Kiyoh gasped then began crying, pressing her way to Kinian's bedside before kneeling down next to it.

"My little girl," she sobbed, delicately brushing the damp hair off Kinian's forehead.

"Oh, stop that, Mom," Kinian said, weakly batting at the hand. "I signed up for the military. I knew what I was getting into, and I'm glad that I at least have a leg to walk with. Hell, they can even make me a damned good prosthetic when this mess is all over with. I'll be fine. Just sucks that I won't be back in action to help out Anne and Viral."

At the mention of her name, Anne cringed a little, feeling more guilty than she knew she had any right to feel. This was NOT her fault. It couldn't be. A steadying weight fell on her shoulders, and Anne felt Viral's warmth behind her.

"We'll be sure to give 'em a few shots just for you," he told her.

Kinian smiled back, eyes started to droop. Anne bent down a little, kissing her sister's cheek as lightly as she could.

"Just focus on getting better, ok? I'll treat you to a nice shopping spree when this is done."

"And dinner," she threw in.

Anne laughed halfheartedly. "And dinner. Just…"

She couldn't say anything else. Anne gave her parents a brief look, and then left the tent and let the tears flow.

* * *

Viral didn't know what it meant to have siblings or family. He had never thought twice about sacrificing a Beastman once upon a time. If he was honest with himself, the most he'd ever dealt with was a certain respect and minor affection for the original Team Dai Gurren. So, as much as he wanted to understand what Anne was going through, he just couldn't. However, if it was anything like losing his fictional daughter, then he could at least relate. All he really needed to know at the end of the day is that she was sad. Really, that was all he needed to know.

He followed her out of the tent and stood as close as he dared while he smelt the tears pour down her face. Taking a few steps, he placed himself in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders as she stared at the ground.

"You could help, you know."

Somehow, he kept the snarl to himself as he watched Kittan make his way towards them. His arm was in a sling, and the only emotion he could smell or sense from the man was a sense of sorrow and defeat.

"Me?"

"Yes," Kittan said. "Help Kinian like you helped my dad. "

"No!"

Anne's head came up so quickly that Viral had to take a step back to avoid being hit by it as she turned on her brother.

"I will not ask Viral to put his life in danger for the sake of a leg!"

"Then don't," Kittan told her, taking a few steps closer. "I am. Make yourself useful and heal our sister. Give her back her leg."

"You have no idea what it is that you're asking," Anne snapped. "This isn't some spinal injury that can be sped along. You want him to force Kinian to grow a new appendage. Her life isn't in danger."

"So, you want to protect him instead of having him help your little sister? At least give him the choice."

Viral watched Anne open her mouth just to close it as she turned towards him, eyes pleading. He shifted his feral gaze from her to Kittan. The boy genuinely thought that Viral could pull this off. But Viral didn't know if the Spiral energy would work that way. To shorten his life for anything less than a sure thing right now…

"I can't," he said. "If I thought Anne and I could genuinely use our powers to give Kinian her own leg once more, I might consider it. But we don't know how this power of mine works. Not really. And I won't shorten my years for a chance. I've got Anne to protect."

Kittan looked back and forth between the two of them. He looked exhausted, and the man finally let out a deep sigh, using his good hand to scratch at the stubble on his chin.

"Then you'd damned well better keep her alive. You owe our family that much, at least."

Anne smiled, a real smile, and she reached over to take her brother in her arms, minding his injury.

"I didn't say I approved," he grumbled. "But I'll stop being such an ass about it. The Anti-Spiral are obviously obsessed with you two, so you've got no choice but to look out for each other. But Viral…"

He locked eyes with Viral, who crossed his arms at the subtle aggression.

"If she doesn't make it out of this alive, I'm holding you responsible. Understood?"

"Understood," he replied without hesitation.

Kittan pulled Anne off of him delicately before going into the tent. She watched him disappear before looking over at him.

"Thank you," she said softly. "But I could never ask that of you. Not unless it was serious, and even then…"

"I know, I know," he huffed. "But your jerk of a brother finally got something right. At least give me the choice."

She nodded, the smile on her face drifting as her focus returned.

"I think we have some phone calls to make. I'm tired of playing defense."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yep," she replied as she started making her way through the street, Cherise on her shoulder, fingers toying with the drill core. "Time to go offense."

"Offense, hmm?" he growled. "I like offense."

They shared a giggle as they headed off towards what remained of the capital building.

* * *

Rossiu handed Anne the handwritten list. She took it from him and looked over the list of names and numbers, trying to fill in the gaps and decide who to ask about whom. The only one missing was her, but Anne knew the woman preferred to stay off the grid after everything she'd been through.

"I'm afraid that's all the information I have on them," Rossiu explained, sitting back down at the salvaged desk, tucked away in the corner of the first floor room that was still mostly intact. "They've more than likely kept better tabs on each other than I have. It just didn't seem necessary…"

He looked old. Very old. Not at all the younger man he actually was. These long years of running Kamina City and then the Republic of Earth had taken a toll on hi and required a heavy price. Anne folded up the paper and placed it in her pocket.

"Trust me, this is more than enough," she assured him.

He let out a huff of breath that might have been a sigh before picking up the stack of reports he had to look over. Damage reports, death counts, supplies had and those needed all had to be sorted out between Rossiu and the remaining Council members. Part of her wished she could help him work it all out. If it had been any other crisis, she definitely would have volunteered. Instead, she turned on her heel and proceeded to leave the building, Viral close behind her.

"Them, huh?"

She put some more distance between the building and themselves before responding.

"I know I can trust them to go all or nothing with this battle," she said. "If they won't come themselves, at least they should know someone who I can shift my faith to. I don't plan on letting this drag out any longer than I have to."

He caught up to her, matching his strides to hers. He was growling slightly.

"What?" she asked finally.

"Are we really going to need anyone else?"

Anne snorted lightly. "You act like you weren't there during the Anti-Spiral attack all twenty-eight years ago. Why should we attempt anything less? And why are you fussing about it so much?"

Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she watched him shrug, shoving his hands in his pockets. She took a step or two to the side, pressing her arm against his.

"You just don't want to share me, do you?"

He opened his mouth to retort before turning a certain shade of red and putting a little more speed into his steps, creating a bit of distance between them. Anne felt her own cheeks heating up, realizing she'd figured it out perfectly before letting herself smile a little at the fact. As she pulled her phone and the list out of her pockets, she wondered at just how well she was able to smile after everything she'd dealt with so far. Glancing over the list, Anne shoved it back in her pocket and decided to start things off easy and she dialed a number she knew by heart. He picked up after two rings.

"Anne? What's up?"

"Hey, Gimi," she said, lengthening her strides to get back to walking next to Viral. "How would you like to get to the front lines and see some real action?"

* * *

It'd taken a full day. She'd spent the entire twenty-four hours nervous and anxious, expecting the Anti-Spiral to do something. Maybe they were waiting on her. Knowing them, they probably were. To break the Spiral being's spirit, they needed to beat them at their best. The Anti-Spiral obsession with creating a lasting despair made them rather predictable. Anne brought out the first tray of tea while Viral followed behind her with the second as they heard another knock on the door. Viral simply adjusted the tray he held, balancing it in one hand and offering his other to her. She swallowed a laugh as she caught a glimpse of him burdened with cups and teapots as she went to the door and opened it.

"Anne!"

The squeal erupted into the apartment at the same time her aunt Kiyal threw herself at Anne, knocking them both to the ground as she nuzzled her niece affectionately. Anne chuckled, hugging one aunt tightly as she looked up from the ground to see her other aunt, Kinon, stare down at them from the door.

"Hi, Aunt Kinon," Anne said, waving a hand as Kiyal finally unwrapped herself.

"Hello, Anne," she said, struggling between amusement and irritation at Kiyal's behavior. "It feels like it's been a while since we got a chance to talk, despite seeing you at the Council building all the time."

"That's cuz our little Anne is all grown up and doing big things for a change," Kiyal grinned, helping Anne up off the ground before throwing an arm around her.

Anne took the hand that was still so familiar to her, getting up and heading back into the living area of her small apartment. Kiyal had been around for most of her childhood, hanging around long enough to see Kinian off to school before deciding to travel the world and enjoy her life. But during those early years, she'd been more big sister than aunt, and Anne had always been grateful for her playful demeanor and her practical advice.

"Look at all these ugly mugs!" Kiyal shouted as she grabbed a cup of tea, sipping it straight. "Never thought I'd see some of you again. Figured a few of you would've blown yourselves to smithereens at some point."

There was a collective groan as the folk who were gathered realized that Kiyal was here, and Anne let loose another giggle while looking at all of the faces she'd managed to gather. However, most had been in the city or nearby when she'd started making the phone calls.

Tetsukan and Cybele had both agreed to join up with them. Sometime in the past decade, they'd finally stopped all the tiptoeing around and gotten married. Their three-year-old son was staying with some family out in the desert area, away from the worst of the attacks. They sat next to each other on a couch. Next to them sat Leite. After losing Makken in the last battle with the Anti-Spiral, she'd put some distance between herself and civilization, raising her kids alone and running a school for one of the outlying villages. Anne had expected her to refuse the invitation, but Leite made it clear that she owed the Anti-Spiral for the last encounter.

Attenborough sat on the ground, fidgeting with some firearms he'd brought with him, taking them apart and reassembling them rather than helping himself to any of the tea. He'd made an adequate living off starting his own construction company, although he generally preferred only to get involved with blowing the shit out of things. Anne had expected him to come running, and he pretty much had since he was in the area, taking down the unstable buildings that were left half standing after this most recent attack.

Gimi and Dari sat comfortably in two chairs, close to each other without touching. Anne had watched them over the years, and she was always fascinated by their relationship. They seemed to form two halves of a whole, and while one or the other might date, it seemed they did it more out of boredom than necessity. They were amazingly self-sufficient, and Anne had done some of her earliest training under Dari. She had a lot of respect for the woman, as she did for her brother. Naturally, she'd asked both to join them. Gimi had been the last one to hold the Gurren Lagann drill, and she still remembered the words he'd given her when he'd passed it over in the semi-formal occasion.

"I never wanted to be a hero or do anything other than fight to protect the ones I love. Gurren Lagann needs more. It needs something extraordinary. Be sure to give it nothing less."

Anne took a deep breath, clutching the core drill through her clothes as she started to open her mouth just to have her opening words interrupted by the door opening.

"And you were just going to do this without us, huh?"

She cringed at her dad's voice, turning around like the guilty child she felt as she faced both her parents. "I thought you might want to stay here and watch over Kinian."

"Like she would let us do that," Kiyoh laughed, making her way towards her sisters and giving them both an affectionate hug. "You're just lucky we heard about your pet project from some whispering Grapearl pilots. None of us would have been happy if you'd left us on Earth while you ran off into space to deal with this on your own. You should at least have given us the choice."

What little confidence she'd been feeling drained out of her as the words echoed in her mind. She kept trying to make decisions for everyone she loved. Anne knew how wrong that was, and she knew it was wrong not to call her parents first. Of course they would want to be out there with her. Hell, Kinian would be if she wasn't injured, but Anne couldn't afford to wait until she was healed. The heavy clap of her father's hand on her shoulder brought her back to the moment.

"Lucky for you that your mom is great at eavesdropping."

He chuckled, and like that, all was forgiven. They pressed into the room, and Anne searched for the words she'd dropped.

"Thank you all for coming, and I won't drag this out longer than necessary." She took up a spot near the balcony door, leaning against the wall so she could see everyone. "We're facing the Anti-Spiral again, and they obviously mean business. For all I know, this may just be a nasty cycle between us and them. All I know is that we can't let them win, and you all were part of that team that defeated them the first time around. I need your expertise, your experience and your power. I might have the energy needed to power through this, but I know I can't do it alone.

"I grew up listening to the stories of how you pushed through despite despair and sorrow the first time around. I'm going to need you to keep me going. And, if I may say so, you'll need my power to push forward. Our power."

She glanced at Viral, who nodded slightly. There was no real doubt in her mind that she would have to draw on his abilities at some point. She just dreaded the thought of it.

"So, with that said, we need to get a hold of all your original Ganmen."

"And that's where I come in," Kinion said. "All the Ganmen we've had, we restored over the years. They're kept in a hidden location until now. I've got the access codes, and I've been instructed to take you there as soon as possible."

She adjusted her glasses before taking a long sip of tea. Anne looked around, wishing that last member would mystically show up. Unfortunately, no one knew where she as at all. Using her muscles, she pushed herself off the wall, grabbed a random hairtie and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"Then I say we get this party started."

Attenborough all but exploded off the ground, rushing out the door in a frenzy. If worst came to worst, she figured that letting him at the Anti-Spiral barehanded might be a very valid option.

* * *

It was too quiet, and Viral felt like he was the prey instead of the hunter. He didn't want to believe the Anti-Spiral would let such a perfect chance at victory go, but they were neither Beastman nor human. They were unfathomable as far as he was concerned, so he had no real idea what they were thinking. He tightened his arms, crossed as he stood in his usual place near Anne, looking at the group of familiar faces and surprised at the absence he felt with those that were no longer with them. Their numbers seemed so few. A few phone calls had gone out during the trip to the site, but at most, that might double their numbers. Still, they needed something. Anne was right; they couldn't do this alone, and this team they had was undoubtedly their best shot.

The sound of gears turning and the ground rumbling let them know it had arrived. A massive hole in the ground opened, the platform lifting and revealing the beautiful glint of the Gunmen of the original Dai-Gurren Brigade. Kiyal jumped up, hooting in excitement as she went to hug her Kiyalunga. The damaged Dyakkaiser that Dyakkah had been piloting was there, still needing repairs, alongside the gleaming twin, Kiyoh's version of the Ganmen. Gimi and Dari found that their first Grapearl were still there, twins themselves, and a small smile touched Dari's face as she reunited with her old friend. The rest of the team hung back, watching the pilots get reacquainted.

"Will this be enough?" Leite asked softly.

"It'll have to be," Anne replied. "Rossiu suggested I take along a contingent of Grapearls, and I'll get them on the way back to Cathedral Terra."

"Who is piloting Gurren Lagann with you?"

"Viral."

The older woman looked up at her.

"He doesn't have Spiral energy. You really should have a human copilot."

Anne was about to open her mouth and protest when Leite spoke again.

"I'll do it for you. Besides, Viral will have his own hands full for most part."

Viral turned his attention towards the woman, who looked him over.

"Found a little something I thought you'd be interested in while I was living off the grid."

On cue, a large truck drove up, stopping near the platform, and Leite waved them after her as she headed over to the back, punching in a code into the back of the van, watching the door rise up.

"Stand back a bit," she warned.

A ramp descended, and Viral felt his heartstrings twinge as he watched the Ganmen that had been loaded in the truck roll off and stand up straight.

"If you want the original helmet back, you'll have to talk to Anne about that," Leite told him.

"You'd have to fight me for it," Anne laughed. She was happy for him, and it showed.

All he could do is shake his head in disbelief as he took a few steps forward and placed his hand on the leg of Enkidudu.

"But…how…when?"

Leite laughed, the first time he'd heard her do so since the reunion.

"The thing about being a teacher is that you get summers off and have to figure out ways to fill up your time. I found the damn thing buried nearby, and I didn't want my skills to get rusty. Figured you'd appreciate it."

"You have no idea," he admitted, surprised at how much he had missed having his own Ganmen. It glinted in the midday light, and he felt it respond to him. He didn't think he could get so emotional about an inanimate object.

"Thank you. I don't know what else to say," he told her.

"Well, you'll have to thank her, too. Damn principal insisted on coming with me."

He heard Anne gasp before he saw just what the big fuss was about. From around the corner of the truck, sniper rifle strapped to her back, red hair cascading down her back, was the last known living member of Team Dai Gurren.

"Geez, you got real big real fast," Yoko told Anne. "Look at you, all grown up and fighting Anti-Spirals. I've got a few bullets with their name on it myself. Pretty much the only thing that could get me out of my sanctuary."


	14. Boldly Go

Delicately, he scratched the back of his neck, careful this time not to draw any blood now that he'd discovered the area was one of his weak spots. The thought brought a soft snarl to his lips, but Viral quickly relaxed his face once he realized he was spooking the laborers that were loading equipment and Ganmen onto the enormous starship. He shifted his attention back towards Anne, watching her as she spoke with Rossiu about intel and the other Spiral races.

"It's been a while."

It had indeed, but not so long that he'd forgotten the sound of her voice. Viral felt Yoko step up next to him, her hair in a thick braid that dusted her back. A few streaks of silver highlighted it, he noticed, and there were some fine lines around her eyes and mouth. Overall, the years had been kind to her. At least, it didn't seem to have killed her spirit.

He nodded before answering, his arms settling in to cross over his chest, clawed finger tapping along his biceps. "That it has. You look like you've been doing well."

Yoko laughed a little, resting her hands on her hips. "I have. Really, I have. It's been nice to get away from it all."

Violent cursing from someone inside drew their attention followed by a quick smack and some whimpering. Viral smirked while Yoko covered her laughter with a hand. The jovial sound died quickly, and she let out a long sigh.

"I'm getting too old for this," she said, her tone light enough to make it sound like she was joking. Her body language and scent said otherwise.

"You didn't have to come," he told her. "No one knew where to find you except Leite."

She shook her head, almost sadly. "No, I had to come. I would never have forgiven myself if I didn't. What good is having a quiet, peaceful life like I've always wanted if I can't protect it. And I have to admit, it is good seeing everyone again. Well, almost everyone…"

Without her saying, Viral knew she wasn't referring to those who had died in the First Anti-Spiral War. However, no one spoke of him as though he was still alive. He'd become a complete legend, a name to inspire children to be brave and noble or to invoke over evils of all sorts. Because after Nia died and he'd passed the core drill to Gimi, Simon had simply disappeared.

Anne spared a moment in her discussion with Rossiu to glance over at Viral, gifting him with a smile even as she continued to speak. Viral felt a familiar pressure in his chest, and in that moment, neither blamed nor condemned Simon for his actions. If anything, he realized he understood more than he liked.

* * *

The last to board Cathedral Terra, Anne found her feet slowing to a stop as she felt the massive door shut firmly behind her, locking away her home and those she was leaving behind. Both Kittan and Kinian refused to leave Earth. The look on Kinian's face told her that she wouldn't be coddeled, knowing that the reason Anne wanted them aboard was to minimize the chances that they were targeted in her absence. Kinian would rather die than sit around and be useless, and she was due to start physical therapy with her new prostethic within the next week. Kittan…well, he simply hadn't wanted to come. Anne felt a little saddened at the new rift that had formed between her little brother and herself, and wondered if it would ever be repaired. At least, she hoped that it wouldn't scar over too badly.

Reports and intel sheets rustled in her hands as her boots clacked noticeably on the metal grating before softening over the tiled floor leading towards the bridge so she could get this voyage underway. Her eyes had barely adjusted to the dim lighting when she heard a noise and jumped. A soft chuckle made its way into her hearing before a soft scowl touched her face and she whirled around.

"I know you're a hunter, Viral, but I'm not your prey," she snapped at him as he came out from the shadows.

"Was never my intention to scare you. Not my fault you're feeling anxious."

Her lips parted to retort, but she didn't have the heart to disagree with the obvious. She let out a long breath before resuming her journey, Viral matching her strides. What needed to be said had to be said to everyone, and that could only be done from the bridge. Mentally, Anne started to sort between all the information she'd been given, attempting to create a quick summary that captured the important matters and got this ship to their first destination the fastest. What had been relative quiet erupted into noise, particularly the yelling of Attenborough as he attempted to push any number of buttons while Dari and Gimi played goalie to keep him from doing so. Kiyal sat on the back of a chair, eating some snacks, and most of the crew was present. After a quick scan, it seemed the only one who wasn't there was Leite, but she was probably seeing to Dyakkaiser. Anne made her way to the com system and flicked a switch.

"Alright, everyone," she started, leaning back against the port rather than sitting down so she could make eye contact with the few in the room. "I know that some of the military joining us are still settling in, so just keep an ear open while you make your way to your quarters or locations. Our first stop is going to be the Spiral world of Lilanova. The Anti-Spiral have hit them hard, and since they are the closest Spiral world to ours, most of the Spiral envoys that were trying to come to Earth were taken out or are currently bottlenecked there. Our priority is to aid the forces there, and if necessary, leave the military while the primary team continues on to try to find whatever space the Anti-Spiral are currently using as a home base.

"We wil take prisoners, if possible, so we can get as much information about the Anti-Spiral as possible. We want to know where they are and where these new generation ones are coming from. How they are replenishing their forces, and where they are getting their firepower. For now, that is all we have to go on until we get closer and pick up some of the short wave communications that may not have gotten to earth. After we've departed, I am sending out scouting teams to serve in four hour shifts, including one member of the primary team…"

"Stop calling us that and give us our damn name!"

Anne blinked a little at Cybele's aggressive voice. Kiyal snickered a little, almost choking on her food.

"Sorry," Anne started again. "Including one member from Team Dai Gurren. That better?"

A cheer erupted from around her, and a flutter of excitement filled her stomach, birthing a smile on her own face.

"You can pick your own teams. I'm not going to be a tyrant. Just check in with me or Viral before you deploy. That is all."

She turned around, flicking the switch off before placing her hands at the edge of the port, looking out over the clear pane at the front of Cathedral Terra. Was she really capable of leading this group of experienced and tried fighters. Doubt gripped her mind before Kiyal jumped on her back, nuzzling her violently so that they both toppled over. The helmsman barely managed to move out of the way in time.

"Aunt Kiyal!" Anne cried out, frustration and irritation boiling up.

"You're all grown up, my little Anne!" Kiyal said, managing to keep both grip and nuzzle. "Kittan would've been so proud to call you his neice."

Mentioning her uncle that had lost his life in the last Anti-Spiral encounter sobered Anne, her body relaxing as Kiyal finally let up enough to pull them both into a sitting position. The older woman took her by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes.

"Gurren Lagann chose you, Anne. Everything you need….everything you've ever needed is right here."

Anne looked down to watch Kiyal's finger touch her softly in the tender tissue above her heart. Looking back up, she saw a hint of unshed tears there. Anne nodded before getting up, offering her aunt a hand up as well. She was right though. Anne knew she had everything she needed to get the job done. The truth was, she wasn't afraid she'd be up to the task. She was afraid of whether she could bear the inevitable losses. Her blue eyes found Viral's feral yellow ones, and she knew at least one loss that might well break her. Spiral help them all if the Anti-Spiral discovered just how close to success they really were.

* * *

After realizing he was in the way, Viral held up a wall for a few minutes, watching to see if Anne would need anything. But time went on, and she didn't so much as glance his way, so he decided to spend some quality time with an old friend. He quickly found his way down to the holding bay for the Ganmen, excitement building up in him as he felt a familiar pulse grow stronger with each step.

"Enkidudu," he said softly, standing before the mech that had carried him for so many years.

"I'm glad you approve."

He looked at the source of the voice, easily finding Leite on a small lift, working with a few others at restoring Dyakkaiser. Viral smiled softly, unable to even act like he didn't care. While he was certainly fond of Gurren Lagann and the memories he'd made in it, having his own Ganmen back was like regaining a part of himself he'd thought he'd lost. Bittersweet, certainly, but still his to own.

"Thank you," he managed to get out.

Leite just nodded in his direction, wiping a bit of sweat on her sleeve before getting down from her workstation and making her way over to where he stood.

"I really never planned to bring him back to you," she admitted. "Wanted to make him better, keep my skills sharp. But I'm glad he was ready for this. You need your own mech."

A growl rumbled in the base of his throat. "Like I'm useless on Gurren Lagann."

"Of course you're not, but that doesn't make you the best for it either."

"Simon thought I was good enough."

"Well, he isn't here."

"So does Anne."

"She's just a child."

The growl became audible, and Leite looked up at him in surprisebefore he finally calmed himself down. Taking a step back, he stopped to realize just how upset he'd gotten over her comment that Anne was "just a child." He took a breath, turning to leave.

"Anne is far from a child anymore. We'd do well to remember that."

Those words he spoke for his own sake as well as Leite's. The gap between their ages had little to do with the selfless attitude and strength of heart he'd seem from her, and that was more than enough for him. He knew that Anne could probably pilot Gurren Lagann with anyone in the second cockpit. The truth was just that he didn't want to share her with anyone else. But he felt like that choice was out of his hands, at least for now. Maybe it was for the best since he did have another toy to play with at the moment. He was definitely looking forward to seeing some action again.

* * *

Anne sat in her room after having been told by everyone on the bridge that she needed to rest. Well, knowing one's needs and being able to tend to them were two very different matters, and she held her second cup of mint tea, hoping that enough of the warm beverage would relax her mind to the point where she felt like she could actually sleep. Anne shifted in her seat to take in the star-streaked view of the space around them before glancing at the clock that hunt in the center of the room from the ceiling. Another eighteen hours or so until they arrived in Lilanova's galaxy. By then, they should be able to pick up some sort of communication frequency. When she left the bridge, they hadn't heard so much as a burst of static. It was hardly a good thing.

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts as she turned her head towards it.

"Come in," she said, hearing how exhausted she sounded and groaning inwardly.

The door peeled away from the wall, revealing the silvered blonde hair of her mother. A bit of her fatigue faded as she stood up, cup forgotten on a small side table as Anne scampered across the room and flung herself into Kiyoh's arms.

"Mommy," she sighed, enjoying the gentle comfort she'd always found in her embrace.

Familiarity filled each strong, steady stroke of Kiyoh's hand over her deep curls, and Anne would not have been surprised if she fell asleep right there. Anne knew her mother knew it as well, and together, they made their way to the edge of her bed, managing to sit down beside each other while still maintaining much of their contact.

"I'm so proud of you," came the words Anne had always lived for. "So, so proud."

The enormity of the task she was undertaking this time flooded her thoughts, and Anne released the growing tension in one sharp shudder, the rest finding its way to her eyes in the form of tears.

"You know, mom," she started, "it's not even the fighting I'm afraid of. It's of letting everyone down. Of not living up to your…to the Earth's expectations of me. Of losing him."

Kiyoh didn't have to ask who "him" was.

"Anne, you've done nothing but make your father and I proud of you from the moment you took your first steps. You've always been such a bright, fierce light in our lives. The only person you have to worry about letting down is yourself. Do your best because you deserve it, not because you think you owe it to us."

Anne nodded, resting her head on her mother's shoulder while discarding the tears that had slipped. The message was not a new one for her. She'd heard it when she left for college and when she became ambassador. Still, it was a message she needed to hear again and again, to assure her that nothing had changed. That she hadn't disappointed them. They were her heroes, even more than Viral or Simon.

"So, now that we've gotten that out of the way," Kiyoh said, putting a bit of space between them so she could look at her daughter's face. "How about you tell me about this…well, not so young man of yours."

The last of her lingering fears melted away, and Anne smiled at her mother's acceptance before slipping into a ramble that left no question with either of them just how lovesick she really was.

* * *

Viral muttered a curse under his breath as he felt Anne approach his side. The static had started about an hour ago, but he could not manage to make out so much as a word.

"Do you think the Anti-Spiral are scrambling communications?" Anne asked, crossing her arms and glaring at the console with him.

"I put nothing past them, but I'm not going to act like I know what they're thinking," he replied. "I would've ended this war a long time ago."

Anne managed to find some humor in that, chuckling a little before glancing around the room.

"Who is out on the scouting party?"

"Yoko."

Truth was, he'd wanted a chance to take out Enkidudu, but Yoko had insisted that he stay on board in case anything came up. He thought it was more an excuse for her to get out and about, not that he blamed her. He was itching for action, and they were very, very close to it.

"When was the last time anyone heard from them?"

"About thirty minutes ago," Gimi said, walking onto the bridge. "She saw something she was going to go check out."

Anne began to tense up, and Viral reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and let it out, nodding.

"Gimi, why don't you take two others and go…"

"…any….there?"

Viral looked to Anne to see if she'd heard it as well, and the look on her face gave him his answer. She sat down, pushing buttons as she tried to clear up the static. He wasn't sure she was actually doing anything to help, but the words did begin to come in more clearly and more frequently. At the very least, he could make out the fact that it was a male voice.

"Hello. ….other….ships….can't….attack…blockade…"

"Blockade?" Anne murmured, a nail on her lips. "Whose blockade? Who's attacking?"

"I'd think the Anti-Spiral would e," Gimi said.

"Yes, but as Viral said, they aren't really being logical in their actions," she commented as she stood up, going to the ship com system, turning it on. "This is Anne. We are finally close enough to Lilanova to receive some limited communications. If we can hear them, I'm sure the Anti-Spiral can hear us. Prepare to engage the enemy."

Viral felt the adrenaline starting to cruise through him, a smirk growing on his face as he clapped his hands together, turning around and heading towards the Ganmen Bay, the click of Anne's heels close behind him.

"You're taking Enkidudu."

He stopped just long enough for her to overtake him before recovering.

"But…" he cringed at the whining tone in his voice.

"You two deserve your reunion, and you can watch my back from there just as well, if not better, than you can from Gurren," she explained, not looking at him. "Dad will copilot with me since Leite is still repairing his."

She glanced over at him, and he felt like he'd been caught sulking. Anne was right, and he did want to pilot Enki again, but he still didn't like the feeling that he was being replaced, not matter how temporary.

"Fine," he replied. "For now."

"For now," she agreed.

They avoided the other more ethusiastic Grapearl pilots as they ran to put on suits and waited in line for takeoff. Viral stood by and watched Anne speak with her father for a moment before both loaded into Gurren Lagann, the familiar burst of green lettign him know it had powered up. He stared at the helmet for a moment, chuckling as he started to get into Enki, stroking the console and realizing how long it had been since he'd bothered to read Beastman. Still, he decided to leave the communications as is, taking in the vestigages of a time gone by.

The Ganmen started up with a few touches, and if an inanimate object could be happy, Enki certainly was. Viral chuckled, unsheathing the swords and looking at them, admiring the job that Leite had really done. They'd been refinished and updated with a lighter, more durable metal. He would really have to find a way to thank her, despite how he personally felt about the woman right now.

"Get in line!"

He saw Anne's image pop up, along with Dyakkah and the rest of the Dai Gurren Brigade that was coming with them. He oblidged, realizing that Anne meant to be the last to take off. Enki felt so odd after piloting Gurren Lagann for so long, but it was more like an old pair of clothing that he hadn't worn. They were both familiar and comforting in different ways.

"Let's show them all what we can do," he told the Ganman, punching the controls when it was his turn to leave the bay, shooting off into the glittering black of space, following the lights ahead of him as they all headed off. He opened up the general communications, trying to see if he could pick up anything else. Still static, but the voice was a little…clearer.

"Any…nearby…come…careful…"

Viral's hands almost fell from the controls as he stopped in the middle of nowhere, staring at nothing as he struggled to believe why the voice sounded familiar. Sure, it had been some time, but the odds…

"Viral?" Anne's voice came with some concern.

"I think I know that voice," he told her, revving up Enki again, and pushing it to the limits, weavign around Ganmen and Grapearl alike, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

"Is it an ambassador or someone we know?" she asked.

"No, and yes," he replied. "Well, it's someone I know. Someone most of us know.

"I think it's Simon."


End file.
